#and it seems he's about to leave for skyhaven?

[starmocha]

Oh, not me crying over this at midnight 😭😭😭

[kutepik]

So Fucking Domestic

(mdni 18+) How many times a week is it normal for a couple to do it? Well... You and Caleb are definitely above average.

1.2k. small hc about domestic life and boyfriend!caleb with a little bit of spicy hihi

Since you and Caleb started seeing each other officially, it was only natural that you spent more time in Skyhaven and he in Linkon. You both had such dense and strenuous routines that at any free moment you tried to be together and make the most of it. On a particular day during the first month of your relationship, you arrived at the Colonel's apartment and found some step stools placed at strategic spots in the apartment. They were large and discreet, one near the kitchen counter, another by the bathroom sink, another by the bookcase in the study and many others. The answer when you asked Caleb about it was simple: when he became a colonel and got the right to an apartment, the Fleet asked for his height to make the furniture as proportional and functional as possible for him. Now that you were spending more time there, he made sure to have those steps made at the right height for you, so that you could be as comfortable as possible. In fact, you always wondered why the sink seemed so high when you brushed your teeth, and how uncomfortable it was to cut things on the counter when you tried to cook something. Caleb was always so efficient and attentive, and you loved that about him.

A week after steps stools were added to the apartment, you were used to them. One day, while you were at the kitchen sink, peeling some apples for a quick snack, Caleb came in from a night mission.

"Hey! Want an apple?" You smiled when he hugged you from behind, sinking his face into the nape of your neck easily because of the extra height the step stool gave you.

"What a miracle to find you in the kitchen," he kissed your neck and held your hips, gluing you to him. You brought a piece of apple to his mouth over your shoulder and forced him to eat it, to shut him up. "Hmpf" He tried to speak and you turned around, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck.

"How was it today?" You gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Boring. I just wanted to come home to you." He rubbed his cheek against yours, sighing. "Buuuut, I had time to think of something"

"Hm?" You hummed with your eyes closed, feeling the warmth of his face against yours.

"I was wondering if... You'd let me put my cock inside you without me having to ask or with any ceremony." He said in a careful voice. "Of course, if you don't want to at the moment, just tell me and I'll completely stop. I totally understand if you find it weird and don't want to do this and I pinky promise we never have to talk about it again and I'll never bring it up ev-“

"I want it!” you said and threw your head to one side. His eyes widened in surprise. "Wherever you want. No matter when you want. I trust you." You kissed one of his eyes. "And I love the idea of you fucking me without ceremony and at any time."

"God, you're going to drive me absolutely crazy. Thank you." He squeezed you in a tight hug.

Once the two of you had agreed on this, you initially thought you'd be having sex the way you always did, hard, deep, kinky, full of fluids, scratches and bites, or doing intense quickies several times a day. But no, it was simple and intimate, simply delicious. Caleb just wanted to be with you and inside you all the time.

Little by little, you realized how the stool he had ordered served more than one purpose. Sometimes you'd be doing your makeup for work, standing in front of the bathroom sink, and Caleb would simply approach you, asking about your plans for the day. As the ordinary words and dialog went on between the two of you, he would gently pull up your shirt, pull down your panties and put his cock inside you. It was addictive. The fucking step stool not only gave you the perfect height for the furniture in the house, but also to leave your ass at the right height for Caleb to find himself in you without having to hold you down, sit or lie down. It was usually like this: his cock nestling into you with slow, intimate strokes, while you both carried on chatting about anything, just spending time together.

By then, you made a habit of walking around the house in your (his) large shirt and no panties, knowing that Caleb liked to be with you, inside you, whenever he could. Of course, you still had brutal sex like two animals frequently, but it seemed that Caleb's obsession and need for you - and you for him - was able to bring about the most painfully intimate, simple and tender sex of your lives. It was just so good to trust so deeply in someone and to want someone so badly that no words or timing were needed. At one moment it was a "Can I stay here with you, baby?" and the next you were reading your book, bent over the counter, while Caleb slid his cock up and down between your folds, stroking himself against your clit, praising you and your pretty pussy. He did it not only because he wanted it, but because he could.

Sometimes he wouldn't even come, or even move. If you were watching a movie, he would surely be inside you, both of you cuddled up, relaxing after an exhausting day, cockwarming.

In fact, you liked it so much that when he didn't take the initiative, you went after him. There were times when he was reading reports, sitting on the living room sofa or in the office armchair, and you would silently approach him, fiddling with your cell phone, sit on his thighs, and soon his cock was hard and hot under his pants. Within moments, you were slowly riding his throbbing cock, while he used his thumb to caress your clit, slowly, just like the rise and fall of your hips. If you got tired, you didn't have to get up. You just kept yourself there, hugging Caleb, with his hard cock throbbing inside you, filling you up completely.

One day, talking to Tara and Simone at the pub in Linkon, the topic came up: "How many times a week is it normal for a couple to have sex?", and the girls debated curiously.

"I don't know, three or two times a week? It depends on their schedule." Simone said, sipping her drink.

"Some couples do it every day! Can you imagine? Having sex every day?" Tara said, her eyes widening. " What about you and your boyfriend? How often do you do it?" She asked, curious.

And that made you wonder. There was the mind-blowing sex, the longing sex, the dirty sex, the rough sex, the slow sex, the sex when you were reading, the sex when he was reading, the sex when you were on your cell phones, the sex when talking about anything, the sex on the kitchen counter, the sex on the bathroom sink, the bath time sex, the movie time sex, the bed time sex, the sleep time sex, the wake up time sex, the boredom time sex, the play time sex… And all you could do was blink, trying to calculate how many times a week Caleb and you had sex and it simply wasn't possible to count.

You laughed, sipped your drink and sighed.

"I don't know, I don't count." And it wasn't a lie.

[tsuyalovebot]

make him lose his cool.

suggestive and sexual content. mdni, ageless blogs dni.

xia yi zhou / caleb x reader.

cw. drabble (~1k wc, written in one sitting. ignore any typos.) no sex, but caleb popping a boner like a victorian man. afab reader (that also wears bras). mc=reader.

"caleb is an ass man!" "no, he likes tits!"

personally, i think caleb would have a near panic attack upon seeing your shoulder, elbow, or ankle.

he just does a really good job of pretending he doesn't mind it. after all, the two of you grew up together. he's had to put his hands on you many times — carrying, tending to scrapes and cuts, tickling you, ruffling your hair, squeezing your face. skinship was a language that the two of you were plenty fluent in.

but the year spent apart failed to maintain this, like some half-assed video streaming subscription, and caleb's the newborn fawn learning how to walk.

so what happens when he knocks on the room to his bedroom — it belongs to you now, technically — with a plate of breakfast before coming in, and he witnesses you sitting up, all sleepy and the neckline of his shirt slightly sliding down your shoulder?

he's going to throw himself off a cliffside. maybe even off skyhaven itself.

the plate hits the bedside table on your side with a loud clatter. none of the food spilled over, luckily. he has half a mind to garble some lame excuse about being busy and a quick good morning before trying to bolt.

but, caleb nearly snaps into two when you tug at the hem of his shirt, slumber still slurred in your words as you ask where he's going. there'd been no strength in that tug. yet, he stopped in his tracks all the same. he ends up listening to your grumbles, ones reminding him that it's his day off, remember? you promised you'd spend it with me.

"i gotta take a shower first," he chuckles, hoping his voice wasn't too shaky. please don't notice. please don't notice.

"but caleb," you keen.

god, it's like when he'd take leave from the academy for a few days just to go back to you and gran. always coming home to you, thoroughly acquainted with you not being a morning person but still making the effort to cling to him and savor every second you two spent together.

he assumed it would be the same now, but clearly, that was a mistake. because the coiling tension of warmth threatening to boil over in his stomach was nothing short of treacherous.

caleb does manage to escape; albeit pained by the half-awake whines behind him and the sound of you falling back into bed. god, how badly he wanted to cave into your demands. you don't even know the half of it.

he wonders if you've ever curled into his side of that bed he once slept on, seeking his cologne, his body, his warmth the same way he looks for your silhouette in every corner of this home. a melody he knows, but a name he can't quite place in this shell of a house that transformed in your presence.

regardless, it's really difficult to let this relationship rebuild organically when he was popping a boner over the slightest sliver of skin. the shower's streams are icy on his skin, the impromptu bath having thrown a wrench into his morning routine. he refuses to even touch himself. letting the proof of his sin soften under the biting cold of the water, despite the discomfort.

because nothing was more horrific than having his body react to you like a prepubescent teen discovering porn online for the first time.

caleb thinks he's safe after spending an hour in the bathroom, fingertips pruned and mind cooler than the iciest of planets. but as he's changed back into his clothes, he discovers you beside the door, a blanket around your sitting form and those eyelids droopy.

"pipsqueak? what're you doin' here?" he's crouching down — mortifying boner forgotten as he gathers you into his arms before he realizes it.

then, you stir. a whine muffled into the crook of his neck as you wrap your arms around him, the vibration seeming to ripple down his spinal column. the blanket falls from your body in the motions, and you're so soft compared to the firmness of his body.

his arms tighten around you on instinct and you let out a pleased sound and—

he stiffens. you weren't wearing a bra.

"caleb, you're done." you yawn, like the spoiled, pampered figurehead of royalty you are. you arch up into him, and he swears he feels several of his neurons die, dropping like flies in the empty cavity of his head.

"take me back to bed." he feels the air shift as you seem to inhale his scent. your voice softer, more content when you say, "i wanna sleep some more."

he's so fucking doomed.

[syluss-littlecrow]

release

<Caleb x fem!reader>

where both you and Caleb end up doing more than butt heads about his given curfew for you.

genre/warnings: smut, pwp, mutual pinning, mutual obsession & possession, jealous!Caleb breeding kink, multiple orgasms, a lot of cum..., perverted!MC, friends to lovers?, squirting, unprotected sex, morning sex, pure Caleb brain rot, it gets pretty nasty

a/n: Caleb, Caleb, CALEB XIA YIZHOU 😭😭 the way I've been giggling over Caleb while watching his story and going back to my home screen with Sylus looking at me with his arms crossed.... Anyway, enjoy this Caleb brain rot 🥹🩷 I'll do one with Caleb's military air force uniform when I can 😔🫡

I JUST SAW THE NEW BANNER DROP IM NOT OK IF ANYONES WONDERING.

w/c: 3.5K

Effortless. That is what Caleb feels like when his affections come to you. It bubbles and boils over when he thinks he's able to put a lid over it, and it overflows instead. It leaves him so defenseless. Yet, he can't seem to stop. It's the only thing that keeps him going in this hell. 

The only thing he feels is the metallic necklace barely weighing on his chest. It almost feels like you're here with him. 

And if you are, he wants to keep you here with him. Forever.

His eyes slowly open. His eyes focus on the hologram clock hovering at the side. 

You're supposed to be back already. 

Caleb contemplated on driving out to find you since he has your location pinging on his phone.

Since when did you have that many friends in Skyhaven? Why doesn't he know about them?

He checks the messages he's sent you, all unread. 

Caleb has to remind himself to stop clenching his jaw and biting his tongue. 

His stare towards the door grows anxious by the minute. Then he strengthens his resolve and marches towards the door, ready to leave and look for you. 

The second he pulls down the door handle, the jingle of the door unlocking from the outside sounds and the door swings open, making you and Caleb jump when he catches you in his arms from bumping into each other.

“Caleb!” You squeal, flustered at the way you completely ran into him. His warmth is radiating over to your skin. “Are you okay? Where were you gonna go?”

You watch a small pout form on his lips. He truly looks like a puppy when he does that, you can't help but think. 

“Look for you”, he curtly replies, making sure you've regained your balance before he releases your arms.

You straighten your posture, and sheepishly touch the nape of your neck, immediately avoiding his gaze. 

“Ah, right. Well, I got carried away with chatting with my friends and all…” 

Caleb crosses his arms. His pout turns into a frown, and his eyebrows are scrunched. 

Shit. He looks mad.

You inch closer to him, your fingers grazing over his knuckles. 

“I'm sorry, Caleb. Don't be mad okay? I'm home now, safe and sound, in the flesh, aren't I?”

Caleb breathes steadily, keeping his expression the same, but when you take his palm and nuzzle your cheek against it, Caleb feels the anxiety and frustration dissolve. He wants to reprimand you about the curfew, and why he implemented it in the first place. If you’ve stayed missing for a second longer, he would have completely lost it. But the moment his palm nearly touches your lips, it all dissipates, as if it never existed. 

Caleb exhales a sigh of defeat, letting it go just this time, alongside the countless times he did. 

“Go shower. I left the heater on for you.” 

You respond with a cheeky smile that makes something in Caleb’s chest bloom, and he lets you go, watching you disappear into your room. 

Caleb hears a knock on his door. He walks over and opens it, watching you coming into view. 

“Is there something you need, pipsqueak?”

You squeeze through the crack of the partially opened door and occupy his bed. 

“I'm just bored.”

Even though Caleb cocks his eyebrow, he still sprouts his smile, walking over to join you on his bed.

“Not because you're trying to make it up to me for coming back past curfew?”

Shit. 

Your smile playfully drops to a pout. “I got carried away yapping with my friends. You know I didn't mean to…” 

Caleb crosses his arms again.

“I could tell. My messages were all left unread.”

You curl your fingers to your lips when you realise you've been caught.

Caleb seems upset but you still see the softness beneath. 

He sighs. 

“I'm doing this for your own good, pipsqueak. I don't like you getting caught up in this.”

Caleb likes to think that it is that way, but he knows that it's more than just that. 

“As you can tell–” you’re showing off your body–your arms first then your legs, then your abdomen. But what Caleb didn't expect you to do was lift up your shirt slightly, your skin exposed, and have your shorts hike up your thighs, just to prove your point. “Nothing! You can check me for tracking devices too if you want to.” 

Something snaps in him.

“So do you let your friends inspect your body like that?” 

He crawls onto the bed, watching the smile slowly drop from your face. 

Caleb’s fingers trace your bare skin, drawing goosebumps from how ghostly the touches feel. His fingers slide from the top of your knees, and towards your thighs.

“Do you know how worried I was when you didn't answer my messages?”

You’re about to part your lips to respond, but he cuts you off. 

“I was wondering what conversations you were having that you ignored me.” 

“Caleb–”

He’s completely trapped you against the headboard of his bed. He's trapped you with his stare. 

Caleb inches closer, until he's close enough. His eyes glance down to your lips for a split second before his gaze meets yours again. 

Your breath is shaky when he leans in closer. 

Then he turns away. 

What the fuck? 

You watch in disbelief as he pulls away, your breath still caught in your throat from the tension.

Caleb’s signature smile returns and you feel his palm stroke the back of your head. 

“You should go back to bed. It's late.” 

He turns to open his door for you to leave. 

“Maybe I should start coming home later too.” 

He pauses in his steps. 

“I don't think that's a bright idea, pipsqueak.”

You slide off his bed and walk towards his door. 

“Maybe not. But I have brighter ones that consist of escaping your curfew.” 

You’re ready to leave the room with your victory, that is, until the door before you completely shuts. You see his shadow tower over you from behind. 

You turn to face Caleb, your arms are crossed. 

“Didn’t you ask me to go to bed?” 

“Changed my mind. I wanna make sure you're thoroughly inspected.”

You’re facing Caleb, back on his bed again. He starts with your face, but he lets his fingers linger around your lips, brushing across your bottom lip. You turn away, and his fingers catch your chin, forcing you to face Caleb.

“No looking away.”

His eyes are devouring every patch of skin that exists on your body. Even though you're clothed, you feel naked when he has his eyes on you this intensely. His fingertips trace back to your lips and he slides it down painfully slowly–past your chin, down your neck, through your sternum, past your stomach, and stops right above the elastic of your shorts. 

You want to shift, but you realise you can't–your body suddenly feels weighed down to the bed, and that's when you realise Caleb has you held down with his Evol.

The softness in Caleb’s eyes disappears, and something else replaces it. You watch him tug your shorts off you, and all you can do is watch helplessly. 

His kisses tickle from your ankle, and he builds them upwards at an agonising pace, each kiss feeling warmer as he travels up your thigh. 

Your heartbeat only accelerates from there, watching Caleb inch closer and closer to your cunt. Your thighs tense up from the sensitivity, the warmth of his lips spreading over your skin when you feel his tongue come in contact with your skin. 

“That tickles”, your voice is soft, as if the defiance in your tone before never existed.

Caleb’s lips press against your clothed pussy. Despite the fact that you’re trembling slightly, you've completely soaked your panties, and Caleb is more than happy to soak them even more. 

He buries his tongue, wetting the fabric even further. The pleasure draws soft moans, but evidently, it's not enough. 

“Caleb… Could you lighten your Evol?” You plead. You want to feel him so bad. 

Your body instantly lightens, and you almost think you're gonna fall off the bed. 

Something else holds you down this time, and it's Caleb. 

He tilts your chin up to have your lips meet his, now his kisses melting off the thoughts in your brain. Warmth burns through your skin. It takes you seconds to realise Caleb is lifting your shirt off you.

The clothing article is the next victim tossed somewhere else on the bed. 

You take his cheeks to your palms.

“I really need you now, Caleb.”

The softness returns to his eyes momentarily. 

“Are you sure you're okay with this?”

“I'll hop off right now and head straight to bed if you don't”, you huff. Fuck, the anticipation is just clawing through your insides, begging for Caleb to do something.

He playfully scoffs. 

“We both know you wouldn't.” 

Caleb tugs your panties to the side, and lines himself to your hole.

He thrusts into you in one swift motion, and you feel it all the way in. It knocks your breath out of you. Caleb watches you helplessly gasp for air and adjust to his size. He’s just filled you so full. 

He’s still supporting you so you don't fucking pass out. He feels you scratch all over his back from the pressure but he stays still, at least, until you've adjusted. 

“Shit. You're so fuckin’ warm for me”, he hisses into your neck, trying his best not to thrust into you. You feel so tight for him, he feels so good just staying there.

He stretches you open for him–your pussy fluttering at the feeling of him filling you up. The pressure slowly fades and you quickly adjust to his size.

Your vision blurs when he thrusts into you from below–the sensation so overwhelming that it's making you tear up. 

“So good”, you sigh, struggling to keep your eyes open–almost impossible when his cock is hitting your g-spot over and over again. Sparks burst into your eyelids whenever he hits the spot and it's evident that he knows he’s able to unravel you just like that, so easily. 

“Caleb…”, you moan. Caleb’s still fucking you, feeling the way you're just squeezing him, watching the way your fingers have gone clawing his back to his bedsheets, the way your tits are bouncing from fucking you, the way your eyes practically form hearts when he knows he's hit your sensitive spots.

“Faster, please. You feel so fucking good.”

He knows you shouldn't have said that. You're the only person who can rile him up like this. How the hell are you making him break his resolve when he's supposed to be upset with you?

He leans in, practically hovering over you. His fingers cup your cheek and he forces you to meet his violet eyes. 

In your fucked out haze, you blink, confused when he slows down. He pulls out completely, and you're about to complain until he rolls your soiled panties off your legs, tossing it to somewhere on the bed. 

You gasp when you feel his thumb graze over your wet and throbbing clit. 

“I'm gonna make you wonder what the fuck wrong with your body”, Caleb’s voice reaches your ears. His words sends a shiver down your spine.

“Your little pussy is gonna throb every time you think of me.”

That's all the warning he gives before his arms tower over you, holding your wrists down above your head. 

He fucks you into an orbit and you're practically helpless–forced to take his thrusts over and over. But fuck, it feels so good. It feels like fucking heaven. 

You like how dizzy it makes you feel. You like how he's not stopping, no matter how much tears stream down your face, and how pathetic you sound crying and moaning his name. 

“Fuck! Caleb, it's too much–” you whimper, the strange feeling building up in your stomach. It feels like it's about to snap any second. 

He acknowledges your words, but he doesn't bother slowing down. 

“Didn’t you promise me to be a good girl and take all of it?” 

“Caleb–!”

Your voice sounds so heavenly when you call his name.

The fluids fountains out of you, soaking everything near it's vincity–including the both of you. Your orgasm continues to wash over you and more fluids spray out.

Caleb watches you squirm and jolt while you make a mess all over him. 

He lets go of your wrists, the slight redness forming onto your skin, and his thumb caresses your bottom lip. 

Despite your arms feeling sore from resisting against his hold, you wrap them around his neck, pulling him close to catch his lips. He's taken back for a split second, but he returns the kiss, letting his soft moans drown into your lips while you clench around him.

When you both pull back, it's Caleb’s turn to have his eyes glazed and his cheeks dusted a soft shade of pink. 

“y/n, if you keep doin’ that–fuck”, Caleb groans, his fingers closing into a fist against the sheets. His breath is shaky. The euphoria is threatening to spill over–the fact that you're trapping him in like this with you, just the two of you solely existing together right now–he could get high off this feeling. He doesn't need anything else. 

“I'm so close. Shit.” You watch the bead of sweat trickle down his temple, down to his cheek, to his chin, and then it disappears into the mess the both of you made below. 

Caleb’s voice makes you refocus on him. 

His palm presses against your cheek again, his thumb brushing lightly on the corner of your lips. 

“You're gonna take all of it like a good girl, yeah?” 

You nod, almost too eagerly. Caleb can't help but think that your face after being fucked looks breathtakingly beautiful. It makes him want to hide you further. The world doesn't deserve someone like you. 

He crashes his lips with yours, melting into the kiss while he pumps you full with his thick cum–making sure he has himself seated deep inside so nothing spills out. At least, not until he pulls out.

The high slowly descends, and the both of you are left panting, getting lost in each other’s eyes just for that moment before Caleb slowly pulls out. 

Caleb then reaches for the glass of water perched on his nightstand to offer you. You take a good few sips of water, and hand it back to Caleb, who takes a couple of sips as well. He notices the way your cheeks are still flushed and that you're blinking more. He plants the empty glass onto the nightstand, ready to carry you to wash up and probably change the sheets after.

In a daze, you notice Caleb’s cum seeping out of your hole in small loads. You wet two fingers and slide them to your pussy–and you push the thick fluids back in, your body jolting in pleasure while you're pretty much fingering your pussy with Caleb’s cum.

Caleb swallows hard while he watches you pleasure yourself. He’s about to say something but you cut him off.

“Your cum keeps leaking out”, you point out, giving him the full view of your cum-soaked pussy. You look up at him with an innocent, poison-soaked gaze–your lashes wet and your thighs trembling from each time you feel his cum leak out of you.

“It’d be such a waste–”, you mutter, shivering one more time when your fingers fuck you again, the room only filled with your voice and the wet squelching sounds from your pussy.

“–if it doesn't stay inside.” 

You barely have time to process what happens next. The next thing you knew, Caleb has your hands pinned above your head with one hand, and the other on your cheeks. His legs stop you from closing yours, and you feel his wet thickness hard once more, resting on your pubic bone.

“You know, pipsqueak”, his voice drops an octave lower. His voice is clear, and he makes sure you hear him. “It's okay to just ask for more.” His eyes reflect such a gorgeous shade of wild you've never seen before, and it looks fucking good on him.

No warnings–your cunt is just wet and sopping that Caleb stuffs you to fullness once more–you give up trying to keep your eyelids open, your mind only processing the way he’s fucking so deep into you again and again.

“You know I'll always give it to you.” 

The way his fingers are cupping your cheeks stops you from answering. Well, he doesn't need a verbal response, especially not when you’re clenching him so fucking tight when your orgasm hits you for the…how many times was it now?

You feel stings that slowly dull around your shoulders and chest. The bites Caleb’s given you are as red as the ruby on his apple necklace. 

The night is drowned with sounds and sensations of both you competing to send each other to the heavens. 

What day is it now? 

Caleb blinks his heavy eyelids open. He soaks in the atmosphere around him, and it doesn't take him long to realise that you're lying on his arm.

Thankfully, it's not numb. Your hair tickles his cheeks. 

He notices the light peeking through his curtains. It's probably daytime. 

Caleb presses his lips against the back of your head, while he pulls you closer. He almost jolts when he hears a soft moan coming from you.

For some reason, something feels funny. 

He attempts to shift slightly, and realises the predicament–his dick is still hard as fuck, and he’s still nestled so fucking deep in you. Fuck. Did the both of you fall asleep mid-sex? The feeling bleeds into him again. 

Are you even awake to realise this? 

Caleb bites his inner cheek, the hardness only builds. Shit. Even after all of that, you're still this warm and tight? 

He watches your breathing steadily. 

He hooks your leg over his arm almost too easily, giving himself easier access to fuck you deeper. Your sleepiness is slowly dissipating, overtaken so fucking quick by the burning desire once more.

His thrusts bear slight friction at first, but somehow that only adds to the pleasure–the rawness, the fact that he's left a mess in you and kept that way, and that he gets to do it all over again in the morning. 

“Ca…Caleb..!” You squeal, uselessly fisting the pillows while Caleb rails you from below. 

“So perfectly warm for me, y/n”, his morning voice dousing you. He takes advantage to litter more bites to the back of your neck and shoulders, and spoils you with his strained moans when he reflects the way you whimper whenever he hits your sensitive spots. 

You sheepishly bury your teary face into the pillows, and Caleb pushes himself impossibly deeper, forcing you to face him when you jolt in surprise. His violet eyes are eating you up. You hear his voice ring in your ears.

“Wanna make you cry more like this. You're so pretty when you cry when I'm splittin’ you open like this.” 

More tears stream down your cheeks whenever your g-spot gets abused over and over. Caleb forces you to meet his gaze. His thrusts are slower, but harder. 

“Shit, you're really gonna milk me dry, yeah?” Caleb hisses when he feels you flutter around him. Your cum is mixed with his, and drips down his cock, to his balls. 

Caleb pulls you tighter, deepening the kiss one last time while he breeds you full over and over for nth time since the last night, devouring your whimpers when the words you muttered to him last night comes into memory. You're so dizzy with pleasure, and Caleb has stolen all of your breaths. 

He finally pulls out, his cum endlessly drizzling out of your abused hole, and it almost sets him off again. 

Nonetheless, he forces himself to get out of bed so he can get a towel and clean you up.

Another loving kiss he presses onto your temple.

“I'm gonna get a towel, pipsqueak.” His husky whispers send shivers down your body, and the warmth of his touch lingers on your thighs for a lot longer than you realise.

He leaves the bed for the bathroom. 

You nuzzle into the pillows Caleb was just lying on, drowning yourself with his scent. The wetness that sticks between your legs–you can't tell if it's your fresh arousal or if it's his cum anymore.  

Not that it mattered since steadying your breath when you realised he was still in you when you stirred before him to see what he'd do next, gave you such a big reward. 

And you'd do it all over again. You would say things to get under his skin, just to get a rise out of him, just to keep his attention on you, always. 

You wanted to keep his strained voice when he called your name, the way he looks at you with so much desperation when he breeds you full, in a bottle and store it for your perverted indulgence. 

No one else needs to know that this part of Caleb exists, because he belongs to you. 

The dim light catches your attention underneath the thick sheets. You take the device, unlocking the phone with your fingerprint. 

6 missed calls. 

You swipe them away. You shut off his phone.

He doesn't need to know.

He doesn't need to remember.

At least, not when he's with you. 

[fairvtaels]

Toxic Au! Caleb x Reader

(mentions of cheating, obsessive behavior from mc/reader, darker theme, slight smut?)

Alright yall, this is my first LADS fic so please bare with me, lol. 

Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. That’s all your leg seemed to do as you sat on the bleachers, your eyes never leaving his form, that damned 6’2 form in all its glory going back and forth as Caleb ran across the court. The Linkon vs. Skyhaven basketball game, and even if you were part of the Linkon Uni, there was no way in hell you’d go for the team that’s going against your best friend. Cheers and woos filling the auditorium as Skyhaven scores a three-pointer, but your face remains stoic as you hear the conversation beside you.

“Damn, that sophomore got skills, what’s his name again?” The brunette asks her friend beside her. Jesus her voice was like nails scratching against a chalkboard. Still, your eyes remain on Caleb as he stands across the court taking a quick water break, his purple eyes quickly glazing over your way, shooting you a small smile.

“Not sure, Caleb I think? He’s hot but definitely not my type..though, Minah for sure got a taste of that last weekend at Gideon’s party. Whole place was wasted off their minds, those seven minutes in heaven turned into a 30 minute quickie.” The blonde replies, oh were you about to kill someone.

Quickie? Oh so now we’re having quickies with other whores on campus now? Much less, lied to me over the phone. I knew it. I knew it wasn’t just a dumb lecture study at Gideon’s place, I should’ve checked on you myself instead of just trusting your stupid location. 

Your blood was beyond the point of boiling, fuming through your nostrils as you abruptly stood up from the bleachers, earning a couple of stares from you. Hurriedly walking down the stairs before you could storm out of the auditorium’s doors on the side, your feet taking your body as you try to gain some type of fresh air but the thoughts were suffocating you, swallowing every part of your brain and all you saw was red.

What else are you hiding from me Caleb? How many other girls are there? You’re mine. You know you’re mine.

Standing now in the middle of Caleb’s dorm it was like you blacked out from then on, aggressively going through his drawers, trying to find what? You didn’t even know it yourself, but you wanted to see what else your precious best friend was hiding from you, keeping you in the dark from. Clothes, clutter and papers now scattered all over the carpeted floor. It was until you finally crouched down to look under his bed, a misplaced shoebox all the way at the end, tucked away.

You slid your body underneath, a grunt leaving you as you reached for it. Dusting off the top of it you open it, piles upon piles of letters inside there. Crumbled and from the looks of it already read. Some mixed with letters you’ve written to him since you two were kids, for his birthday, his graduations, or just random letters. But some…some were not yours and not your handwriting. 

“Caleb, my love, happy anniversary. Six full months with you baby, I love you more and more each day I spend with you and I’ve completely fallen in love with you without a doubt. You hold a special place in my heart, and no one could ever replac-” Your hands furiously ripped the paper in pieces, thousands of them as tears rolled down your cheeks, your heart aching to burst out of your chest as you let out a scream. A scream of frustration, anger, and heartbreak all together. No, there’s no way right? Caleb wouldn’t keep such a secret from you, right? It was way worse than hearing about his random quickies at parties, a whole relationship. 

Fury was written all over you, how could he. This was not the Caleb you knew, he told you everything! You knew him like the back of your hand and more so now that you started fooling around with him. The late night calls, touching yourself as he whispered filthy words to you over the phone while your fingers thrusted in and out of you, imagining it was his cock stretching you. Fucking in his car whenever one or the other called, and now you’ve become the side piece? 

The sound of the door locking behind you immediately shoots you up straight, meeting your gaze with Caleb’s purple hues of his eyes. Pale he stood as he glanced at the torn paper surrounding you.

“Pips-” His voice trembled and before he could finish even saying the damned pet name he gave you years ago, your lips vomited out the words you never even dared to say to Caleb ever in your life.

“Fuck you, Caleb. Fuck. You.” 

“It’s not how you think it is, her and I date-”

“The fuck you mean it’s not like how it is Caleb?! You had a girlfriend this whole time and I never once heard about this girl? What, did she not satisfy you enough that you had to resort to me and other girls? Or what, did you not think I wasn’t going to find out about that either, about your disgusting quickies.” A scoff leaves you as you toss the last bit of letters at him, not even bothering to look into them, as you quickly reach out to him, snatching his phone away from his grip. Knowing everything about him, you unlock his phone immediately.

Melissa: U up? 

10:23 PM

Sabrina: miss u daddy <3 come see me..

8:18 PM

Minah: Hey baby, almost done?

5:47 PM

Obsessively scrolling down through his messages, all messages from today or days ago. You felt disgusted, not only did the guy have a whole girlfriend, but you weren’t the only girl on the side. Who was he? 

Caleb fought against you, trying to take his phone back from your hands but you were all too quick to pull away as you paced around his room continuing to scroll through his phone. Countless photos and videos, not just of the girls but of him fucking them, them having their lips wrapped around the cock you loved having so much. Even if he wasn’t yours by the title, it still hurt. It hurt more that your best friend of two decades now could ever do this to you. The lies, he used you.  

“Give it back!” He growls as he reaches out for his phone again, but you turn on your heels facing away from Caleb. His phone began vibrating against the palm of your hand. The caller ID showing an S with a white heart emoji beside it. “Oh look, someone’s calling, should we answer?” You say sarcastically, your finger already pressing against the green dot on the screen. 

“NO, I swear to go--”

“Hello? Yeah, you looking for Caleb? Oh yeah he’s here, he’s just in the shower, by the way great tits by the wa--”

Caleb rips his phone out of your ear, hanging up on the call before tossing it over onto his bed, not caring if it falls or cracks. 

“That was girl number what? Number 5? Number 8 on your list? On what rank do I fall on, Caleb?” You push his buttons as he stands still before you, his nostrils flaring in and out with anger and frustration radiating his body. That’s all it took as his hands were gripping onto your wrists, yanking your body firm against his. “You just don’t shut up do you? Always running your damn mouth, you want answers? Huh? Fine.” He pushes you against the door with a loud thud against it, earning a grunt from your lips as he keeps you pinned there. Caleb’s tall frame caging you in easily. “I stopped seeing her long time ago, those letters were from last year, and I kept it hidden because I know how you can be. You think I didn’t know about your little crush on me?” Caleb’s lips form into a smirk as he sees your gaze falter at his last words, a mocking scoff leaving him. His fingers now sneaking up behind your head, threading his fingers into your hair as he holds a firm grip, lifting your gaze back up at him.

How I can be? Bastard, you used me.

“So you just go on and fuck every girl you know? You’re sick Caleb, I knew some guys were like this but not you. But fine, you want to play that game, two can fucking play it.” With all the will and force, you pushed him out your way, making him stumble back on his feet and before he could reach you, you were out the door. You could hear Caleb desperately calling out your name as you ran out of his dorm building, still seeing red and having those images from his phone stuck in your head you grew more angry, poison running through your veins aching to hurt him. So you did.

“Hey, you still at the library? No, nothings wrong…just let me see you.” With that you hung up the call, sticking your phone back into your front pocket and made your way towards the library building in the middle of campus. The sun was beginning to set, the warm summer wind slowly becoming cooler as the sun continued to descend. 

Perfect, no one will see us.

“Let you see me huh? I’m assuming you’re not here to hang out.” The sound of Zayne’s voice creeps behind you as you wait outside the library entrance. Turning around to find him standing right before you, casual as always. Black sweats paired with a solid white t-shirt, hair softly flowing against his forehead. Zayne, another childhood friend but nothing compared to your relationship/friendship with Caleb, sadly when you guys were about to start high school he moved cities away. Being the smarty pants he is, he got into all the best schools of the state without a doubt and now in the road to becoming a doctor. A smile forms at your lips hearing his playful teasing tone. “Guess I caught.” You let out a small chuckle, Zayne shaking his head as he begins to walk down the hall. You knew he didn’t like to beat around the bush and get straight to things, fair enough since he’s always busy. 

“Well you coming or not, gorgeous?” He asked as he looked at you over his shoulder, slipping the lanyard with his keys out of his pocket.

All thoughts of Caleb now pushed into the depths of your brain as you remained sat against Zayne’s lap, your mouth eagerly devouring his as he did the same to yours. Moaning and whimpering into his mouth as he began pushing the hem of your skirt up, pooling it around your waist. Zayne’s moves have always been more precise and almost all too natural when it came to you, rather than Caleb’s; rough and greedy. Both of your heavy panting fills the space of his backseat, slowly grinding your ass right against the bulge beneath the fabric of his sweatpants, the heat between your legs growing with each passing second, his teeth grazing against the flesh of your skin as he leaves his mark. Zayne could feel you, smell your arousal even, feel the dampened panties. 

“Lift your hips.” He commands you and you follow suit.

Tugging down his sweats along with his briefs, letting them hang at the mid of his thighs, giving himself enough space to free his aching cock. Begging to slip inside your dripping pussy. In one swift move he tugs your hips down, earning a gasp from both of your lips. Tilting his head back against the headrest, pulling you flush against his chest as he starts to thrust himself from beneath you, deep and fast. His balls slapping right at the curve of your ass with each upward move, echoing all through the car and thank fucking god he parked all the way at the end of campus or else everyone would hear your muffled cries from inside. 

“Za--zayne! Fuck!” Breathlessly you cry out his name, all while he continues his assault, drilling right into you hitting the sweetest spots inside you.

It all goes on for an hour, making you come undone and fall apart multiple times on his cock and fingers. Caleb? Long forgotten, for now. After finally calming down and a quick banter chat Zayne drives his car out of the parking lot, driving back towards your apartment not far out from the university. As he pulls into the driveway, his fingers come beneath your chin pulling you over the center console of his car to capture your lips in a long deep languid kiss. Wanting the savor the last bit of his mouth before you pull away.

“Mm…I gotta go, doctor.” You murmur against his lips, earning a chuckle from him at the ‘doctor’ mention. “Kay, get your ass inside safely, doctor’s orders.” Zayne whispers to you, not before pressing a kiss at the back of your hand as you slide your body out of his car. Waving him goodbye, before quickly running towards your apartment. Now you stand in silence as you close the door behind you, your mind already ahead of you as memories of today’s events run through your head. A wave of just pure sadness washing through you as you toss your keys on the counter, letting out a sigh before plopping yourself onto the couch. Before you could even get the chance to let yourself cry over everything, your phone begins to vibrate.

Caleb: Wrong fucking move. 

11:18 PM

Caleb: Open your door, i’m outside. 

11:20PM 

[hxlxnaaa]

𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 ─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─ 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬

★ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: it's your senior year at the aerospace academy, and over the course of nine months, your connection with caleb shifts from mere classmates and acquaintances to something deeper. but there's one problem—the girl he loves back home.

★ 𝐜𝐰/𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: first person pov, non-mc reader, feminine implied reader, some connections to caleb’s 4-star tender moments, angst/hurt + no comfort, kinda long but fast paced

★ 𝐰𝐜: 11.1k

★ 𝐚/𝐧: longest fic i've written yet, go me woot woot :p i wanted to write heartbreak so here it is. pls do not have your therapist bill me, thx! anyways when caleb goes, ‘i wont get a girlfriend’ in stage observer, he sounds kinda down, right? yeah imagine hes thinking about you (the reader) in this as he says that LOL. okay, (try to) enjoy lovelies!! <3

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!

I never believed I’d let something like this happen to me. 

Yet it crept in quietly, the way all irreversible things do. A shift so subtle I almost missed it, until I was already too deep to turn back.

It was in the lingering glances, in the way the air felt charged in the spaces between us. In the laughter that came too easily, the silences that felt safe, the moments that stretched just a little too long. It was in the way he looked at me; like maybe, for a second, he saw something more.

But love, if you can call it that, isn’t always kind. Sometimes, it’s a quiet war. A battle between logic and longing, between what’s real and what’s only ever been wishful thinking. And when the person you want is still holding onto someone else, someone they can’t seem to let go of, where does that leave you?

I swore I’d keep my balance; though gravity has a mind of its own.

August-

It was breezy, as are most August days in Skyhaven. Fumbling my fingers through my hair, desperately trying to comb through any loose strands from the wind, I tried to make myself look somewhat presentable for my first day of classes. It was senior year, and I wanted to make the most of it for once, as it felt like the past few years had been me barely passing by. 

I sat down in the lecture hall, music blaring through my headphones as I fidgeted nervously with the pen in my hand. It wasn’t long before a figure sat next to me in my peripheral, and I internally groaned.

‘You have this whole ass lecture hall with so many empty seats in this row, and you sit right next to me. Dick.’ I thought to myself.

Seeing the person tap on my desk, I glanced over to notice it was Caleb.

We had crossed paths before, orbiting the same social circles through mutual friends. Our interactions had been fleeting, exchanged pleasantries at gatherings or brief moments of conversation that never really dug beneath the surface.

His lips moved as he spoke but I didn’t hear a word he said over the sound of my music. I pulled one of the speakers off my ear, “What?”

“Well first I said ‘hey, what's up?’, then told you I’m glad to know someone in this class.” Caleb smiled, “But then I realized you weren’t listening.”

His grin was infectious. Then again, everything about him was. Caleb was a campus favorite, and for good reason; his effortless charm and magnetic charisma drew everyone in, leaving them captivated.

I smiled back, “I would’ve listened, I just couldn’t hear you.”

“Shoulda tapped you sooner then.”

We talked as more people trickled in, and conversation with him flowed effortlessly. He was almost unfairly likable, the kind of person who won people over without even trying, it was no wonder he had everyone wrapped around his finger.

“Yeah, I failed this class the first time around, so if I want to graduate this spring, I have to finally retake it,” Caleb sighed, shaking his head. “The Caleb failed a class? No way…” Gasping, I clutched my chest in mock shock. “I had no idea you were even capable of failure, Mr. Perfect.”

His lips twitched into a smile at the nickname, but his eyes betrayed him. He shrugged, “Well, I can do it this time around.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I totally didn’t realize I needed this credit.” I poked his hand resting on his desk with my pen, “We’re in this together.”

The professor was about halfway through the syllabus when Caleb started writing on my notebook. 

Do you have class after this?

I looked over at him, mouthing “No”. Not for a few hours, I wrote back. 

Hangout with me after this then

And that’s how I ended up sitting in the quad with Caleb, with the itchy grass prickling my legs and a sweating can of soda in my hand beneath the warm August sun. Yet Caleb’s presence was still warmer; my cheeks and stomach hurt from laughter, and every giggle of mine only fueled the fire of his jokes. 

As the laughter died down, Caleb leaned back on his hands, squinting up at the sky. “Man, I forgot how nice it is to just sit around like this on campus. No deadlines yet, no stress… just kinda existing.”

I took a sip of my soda, nudging his knee with mine. “You make it sound like you’re constantly suffering.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I mean, maybe a little. Gotta keep up the ‘Mr. Perfect’ image, right?”

I tilted my head, studying him. For a second, he looked almost… tired. Like there was more he wanted to say but wasn’t sure how.

“You know you don’t have to be perfect all the time, right?” I said, softer now. “You’re allowed to mess up. You’re allowed to breathe.”

He glanced at me, something flickering in his eyes—surprise, maybe. Or relief. Then, just as quickly, his signature grin returned. “Good to know I’ve got my personal cheerleader.”

I rolled my eyes, but my smile gave me away. “More like your reality check.”

“Even better.” He bumped his shoulder against mine, before laying down on the ground. The sunlight hit his eyes just right, making them glimmer like polished amethyst. With his brown hair tousled against the grass and his shirt riding up just enough to reveal a hint of skin, it wasn’t hard to see why all the girls fawned over him. When it came to looks, Caleb really did live up to the whole Mr. Perfect thing.

“What about you?” Caleb glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “What’s your kryptonite?”

I raised a brow. “Come again?”

He smirked. “Your weakness. What takes you down every time?”

I pretended to think it over, then shot him a cheeky grin. “Probably failure.”

Caleb let out a soft laugh, propping his head up on his elbow. “Alright, I’m sensing some hypocrisy here.”

“It’s not hypocrisy,” I defended, shrugging. “I just fail to take my own advice.”

He tapped his chin, feigning deep thought. “Mm, no, that just makes you a hypocrite. But hey, at least you’re self-aware, Miss perfect.”

Something between us just clicked, that unspoken feeling when you know you’re going to get along with someone. Nothing about our conversation felt forced, it unfolded with an ease that caught us both off guard. I don’t think either of us saw this coming, but somehow, it just made sense.

And so it continued; messing around with Caleb in class, then hanging out in the quad afterward. Our dynamic quickly shifted from casual acquaintances to good friends as our connection bled beyond the classroom. The progression was almost rapid; natural, but undeniable.

Conversations with him came naturally, filled with dry humor, shared ambition, and the kind of unspoken understanding that made being around each other feel easy. We started saving seats for each other without thinking, sharing notes even when we both knew we hadn’t written anything useful, and lingering just a little longer after class, stretching out the moments before we had to part ways.

Afternoons in the quad turned into grabbing coffee, which turned into late-night study sessions that often had more laughing than actual studying. It wasn’t just that we got along; we started to seek each other out, gravitating toward one another like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

It wasn’t just about sharing space; it was about the way we easily fit into each other’s lives like we had always been meant to.

I found myself opening up in ways I never had before, trusting Caleb with thoughts I usually kept locked away. And in return, he let me see past the carefully constructed walls he had built. 

I learned a lot about Caleb in our time spent together; I learned about his dreams and aspirations, his worries and fears, his home back in Linkon and how much of it still clung to him.

And her.

I learned about her.

MC; the kind of nickname all the cool girls had, lifted from their initials like it had always belonged to them. She was innocent, pretty, just the right balance of book-smart and blissfully unaware. The kind of girl who never had to try too hard because the world seemed to bend in her favor. She was perfect in that way, and maybe that’s why Caleb felt like he had to be perfect, too.

She had been his childhood friend, raised alongside him by his gran, their lives tangled together like roots beneath the same old house.

“She’s your sister?” I had asked, unsure of the dynamic.

Caleb hesitated, something unreadable flickering across his face. “No,” he said finally, his voice careful. “Not really. We just grew up together.”

She was everything to him, the quiet force that shaped him in ways he probably didn’t even realize. Everything he did, every careful step he took, was in her image. And suddenly, it all made sense.

The way Caleb kept people at arm’s length, the reason he didn’t have many real friends at the Academy. It wasn't because he didn’t want them, it was because a part of him was still anchored somewhere else; belonged to someone else.

Once, we had sat on the steps outside one of the buildings, his elbows on his knees, staring out at nothing in particular.

“You never really let people in.” I looked over at him, my statement coming out of nowhere.

He let out a short breath, almost a laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Was it that obvious?”

“I didn’t get it back then. Thought maybe you just had too many friends to be really close with any of them.”

He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. “It wasn’t that,” he admitted. “I just… I already had MC. Growing up the way we did, it was always just us. I guess I never really learned how to need anyone else.”

I glanced at him, but his eyes stayed on the horizon, lost in something I couldn’t see.

“You still do that, you know,” I said. “Keep people just enough away.”

He swallowed hard, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Some habits don’t go away easy.”

“So why am I an exception?”

Caleb exhaled slowly, rubbing his hands together. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe because you didn’t try to push your way in. You just… stayed.”

I frowned. “That’s it?”

He shook his head, a small, almost self-conscious smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No. It’s more than that.” He glanced at me then, something raw in his eyes. “You just understand the way I think, and nobody has before.”

A silence stretched between us, thick with things neither of us knew how to say.

“You make it sound like some big thing,” I murmured. “Like I did something special.”

He tilted his head slightly, considering me. “Maybe you did.”

His words awakened something in me, an ache settling in my chest. A quiet, gnawing feeling that signaled the start of an internal war; one I never really meant to step into, but quickly became hard to ignore. A silent competition I didn’t sign up for, but suddenly felt compelled to win. 

It wasn’t against MC, not even Caleb himself.

But against the undeniable truth that no matter how close we got, I may never be the one he chooses.

September-

I barely notice the shift at first; the way August hands things off to September, smooth and effortless, like they’ve done this a million times before. Like they were always meant to meet. It feels familiar in a way I can’t explain, like stepping into a conversation that’s already halfway finished but somehow still knowing exactly what’s being said. 

Things with Caleb had settled into a familiar rhythm. On campus, we were either together or in class, our days stitched together by shared moments. Being with him was refreshing, like the first warm breeze after a long winter, a quiet promise that brighter days were ahead. Silence with him was never awkward; it was understood. He always seemed to know what I was thinking, what I meant to say, even when I didn’t say it aloud.

I’d known Caleb for a while, but the way we grew close so quickly felt natural, like we’d been moving toward this all along. It was as if there had always been a space in my mind shaped just for him, waiting for the right moment for him to step in.

The cloudy sky above turned dark with the impending storm coming, but in a rush to meet Caleb, I had hardly noticed until I was halfway to his dorm. Cursing to myself, I silently tried to manifest the rain would hold off until I got back to my own dorm later. 

It was movie day; every Friday afternoon after Caleb and I finished with our classes for the day we would have lunch and watch a movie. He was on hosting duty this week, and his dorm was on the other side of campus. If I got caught in this rain, I’d still have a bit of a walk in the storm before I arrived. 

Almost as if laughing at me, the sky cracked with lightning and thunder rumbled, and I heard the pouring of rain before I felt it.

“Shit!” I picked up the pace, my sneakers splashing through puddles forming on the sidewalks as I started to run. Thunder booming in the sky, I mentally prepared to get struck by lightning and hoped I would be eaten by the campus birds before anyone found my body. 

Trying to take a shortcut through the grass was the worst decision I could have made, as I wasn’t even two feet from the sidewalk before I slipped, landing on my back and getting waterboarded by the sky. “Argh!” I screeched, tears of frustration welling in the corners of my eyes. I sat up, glaring at the students staring at me as they passed by with their umbrellas. 

My whole body was drenched by the time I was outside of Caleb’s; my hair, jeans, and sweater caked with mud (and probably a few stray leaves). 

Making my way upstairs, my cheeks were pink from the cold and embarrassment as everyone in the building looked at me with confusion as my clothes and hair dripped all over the floor. 

Caleb swung the door open before I could knock, something he’d do as he watched for me through the peephole in his door. Looking me up and down, the corners of his mouth twitched upward as he coughed, stifling a laugh.

He leaned against his door frame, “What happened here?”

“Shut up.” I pushed past him, annoyed but a bit guilty as I continued to drip all over his floor.

“You look like a sad wet cat,” Caleb patted my wet hair, frowning when he saw I was shivering, “a cold, sad wet cat.”

He started to rummage around the room, going through his drawers and closet, pulling out clothes. Tossing them at me, he pointed to the bathroom, “Go shower, I don’t want you all soppin’ wet on my stuff.”

I glanced at the clothes he handed me; hoodie, sweatpants…his boxers? 

“Um, Caleb-”

He shook his head, “It’s only weird if you make it weird.”

Pursing my lips together I nodded, heading into the bathroom. I called out to him, “Caleb, do you have a towel?” 

“Just use the one in there.”

Okay, we were close, but I wasn’t aware we had crossed into this land.

Peeling my clothes from my body, I threw them into a pile in the corner. I nearly moaned when the hot water hit my skin, and basked in the feeling for a bit. I stared at Caleb’s shampoo and body wash, conflicted on if I should actually use them or just try to rinse myself off the best I could.

Feeling the mud and tangles in my hair, I accepted defeat.

By the time I was done, clad in Caleb’s warm clothes with every inch of me smelling like him, it felt like he was smothering me. Like I was enveloped in one of his bear hugs.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and I felt my heart jump a bit. There was something about wearing a boy’s clothes as is, but Caleb’s clothes? 

A bit ago, I had felt the shift before I could name it. 

It’s in the way my eyes flick to my phone more often than before, in the way my chest tightens, just a little, when his name lights up my screen. It’s in the way my pulse stirs when I spot him at our usual spot in the library, twirling a pen between his fingers like he’s been waiting for me. Like he knew I’d show up (and he always did). 

And maybe that’s what unsettles me the most, not just that I notice these things, but that a part of me already expects them. Like I’ve been pavloved.

It was ignorable at first, but it’s become this nagging feeling at the back of my mind. A tugging at my heart. It’s annoying, like a mosquito buzzing in my ear that’s too quick for me to smack it away.

The feeling that I didn’t want to just be friends anymore.

Coming out of the bathroom, Caleb was already sitting on the floor in front of his bed with two cups of tea and food, and my mouth watered when I saw he made my favorite.

He smiled at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “You look pretty good in those.”

Heat crept up my neck, and I let out a nervous laugh. “You’re just saying that because I look like you.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Caleb nodded toward the bathroom. “Your hair’s still wet. Grab the towel.”

“It’s fine,” I shrugged. “It’s not that bad.”

He raised an eyebrow, arms crossing over his chest. “You already got caught in the rain once. Stay damp any longer, and you’ll catch a cold.” Then, with a cheeky grin, he added, “And I can’t be left alone in class. That’d be tragic.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel, grabbed the towel, and tossed it at him. “Right, of course. That’s all I am to you, entertainment in class.”

“For sure,” he said smoothly, catching the towel with ease. “Now sit.”

I sat beside him, reaching for the towel, but before I could take it, his hands found my shoulders, gently turning me away. I barely had time to protest before he took the towel himself, carefully running it through my damp hair.

“Caleb, I can do it myself—” I started, trying to shift back, but his grip was steady.

“Shush,” he murmured. “Let me help.”

I could have argued, but the warmth of his touch, the slow, deliberate way he moved, made it impossible to resist. My shoulders relaxed as he worked, the soft scratch of the towel against my scalp lulling me into stillness. Silence settled between us, easy and unspoken, the only sound the steady rhythm of rain tapping against the window. It was peaceful, grounding. For a moment, I let myself sink into it, let myself be cared for.

Before long Caleb tugged on a strand of my hair, “Okay, done.”

“Thank you” I pinched his cheek, his lips curved upwards and his eyes went soft.

“Now, what should we watch?”

“Nothing crazy, I don’t think my brain can function right now after today.”

Caleb laughed, flicking through the movies, before settling on some random cartoon. I sighed dramatically when I took a bite of the food he made, “Caleb, you’ve outdone yourself yet again.”

He looked at me mischievously before stealing a bite, and I punched his shoulder, “You have your own!”

His phone lit up and I saw the name, looking away as he picked it up to respond to the incoming texts.

MC.

A wedge of jealousy crept up my throat. It was our movie time, and here she was, almost on cue.

I always listen—really listen—when he talks about her. About how much she means to him, how she’s one of the only constants in his life. And it stings, sharper than I expect, because I want to be that constant. I don’t say it, of course. Instead, I throw myself deeper into the friendship, as if proving my place will make it true.

I laugh at his jokes a little too hard. Memorize the way he takes his coffee without meaning to. Notice the small things that make him tick, the way his expression shifts when he’s lost in thought, the songs he hums under his breath.

The internal competition I created against her wasn’t intentional, but once I noticed it, everything about it became hard to unsee.

He sets his phone down just as quickly as he picked it up, shooting me an apologetic look. “Sorry, MC just had a question about something.”

‘That stupid question could’ve waited’, I think, irritation curling in my chest. But I shove it down, nudging his shoulder with a forced smile. “S’alright. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, all good.” He settles back into the movie, but I barely hear it now. The feeling of her lingers, clinging to the space between us, and I try to shake it off.

His presence beside me soothes the sting, like a bandage over a wound, and I start to loosen up, letting my head rest against the bed. The warmth of his clothes, the comfort of a full stomach, the quiet rhythm of rain against the window; it all starts to pull me under, drowsiness settling into my bones. My eyelids grow heavy, and I barely register the way Caleb shifts beside me.

“Sleepy?” His voice is soft, almost amused.

I peek one eye open, managing a lazy smile. “A bit.”

Without a word, he moves closer, wrapping an arm around the back of my neck. His hand finds the side of my head, cradling it gently as he guides me to rest against his shoulder. The touch is careful, deliberate, something more than our usual play punches and casual grabs in a crowd. This is different. More intimate.

For a moment, I forgot about the competition. Because my head fits perfectly in the crook of his neck, and the slow, absentminded way his fingers trace shapes on my shoulder feels so easy, so natural. He watches the TV like this is nothing new, like having me this close is just the way things are meant to be. And for the first time I let myself believe, just for a second, that maybe he feels the same way about me too.

October-

There's a charge in the air alongside the change in leaves, a quiet pull I feel every time Caleb leans in a little too close or looks at me like I’m the only person in the room.

But then, there’s her.

She’s not here, but she is. Always lingering in the pauses between sentences, in the spaces Caleb leaves open without realizing it. She’s in the way his face softens when he says her name, in the light that sparks behind his eyes when he talks about her. And I hate how it makes me feel; petty, ridiculous, like I’ve stumbled into a battle I was never meant to fight.

I just can’t shake it.

Because lately, there’s been something else. An even bigger shift, subtle, but impossible to ignore. The way his hand lingers a beat too long when he passes me something, like he’s reluctant to let go. The way his gaze finds me, even in a crowded room, like I’m the only person worth looking at. The late-night texts, filled with thoughts that could have waited but never do.

Maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe I’m just reading too much into things, seeing what I want to see. But a part of me, deep down, knows he feels this too.

My phone began to ring as I was getting ready for the Senior Gala the Academy holds every year for those graduating in the spring. 

“Yes?” I already know who it is without looking.

Caleb’s voice drifts through the speaker, soft and warm. “Are you almost ready, honey?” The pet name catches me off guard, a shy smile pulling at my lips before I can stop it. He’d started using it recently, and I hadn’t dared to question it out of the fear it would stop.

He was my date tonight (as friends of course), and I was running a little behind.

“I still have to finish my makeup, do my hair, and put on my dress,” I groaned in frustration, “I’m sorry Caleb, I’m trying to go as fast as I can.”

He laughs sweetly, “Well, I’m almost there. I can help you out.”

“Help me…?”

“Yep, Captain Caleb is gonna be there to save the night. See you soon!”

The phone clicks before I can respond, and not a moment later, Caleb is strolling through my door like he owns the place. 

I turned to face him, and my breath caught in my throat. His suit was a deep navy that matched my dress, the rich fabric adorned with his pilot and aviator pins. His hair, tousled yet intentional, framed a face that always felt like home. Caleb stood there composed, sharp but still him; and there was something about the way the badges gleamed against his chest that nearly brought me to my knees.

His gaze sweeps over my desk, taking in the chaos of makeup scattered around, before pausing on my curling iron.

“Is this plugged in?” He picks it up, inspecting it.

“Caleb, you are not putting that anywhere near my head.” I instinctively flinch as he reaches for a lock of my hair.

But he’s quick, his hand firmly grasping the top of my head, holding it still. “I always helped MC with her hair. I know my way around a curling iron.”

The words land harder than he meant, and I can’t help but squint at him, a frown tugging at my lips. He misreads it, thinking I’m questioning him, and gives me a serious look.

“Trust me here.”

I let the assumption hang in the air, letting him believe my discontent is just doubt. I sigh, giving in, “Alright, but if you make me look bad for my Senior Gala, I will hate you forever.”

He starts to section my hair and I raise my brows in approval, ‘Okay, yeah,’ I think, ‘Maybe he does have this’.

Caleb’s touch is gentle as I apply my mascara and lipstick, careful not to mess me up, his hands steady as he moves around me. It doesn’t take long before he pulls back, setting the curling iron down as I finish up with the last touches of my makeup.

“We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” His hands rest on my shoulders as he leans down, chin lightly resting on the top of my head, both of us watching our reflection in the mirror.

I tilt my head, inspecting my hair with a playful smile, running my fingers through a few strands. “I suppose you did an okay job.”

He pinches the bridge of my nose, a mock scowl crossing his face. Laughing, I stand up, reaching for my dress hanging in the closet.

I headed to the bathroom, “I’ll be out in a sec.”

I slipped the dress on, the blue silk molding to my body, the delicate sleeves draping off my shoulders. It was beautiful, I was beautiful; but as I caught my reflection, doubt crept in. Would I look out of place next to Caleb? He was all polished perfection, and I was just… me. Not bad, but not him.

She would look perfect beside him.

‘No.’ I straightened my shoulders. ‘I’m Caleb’s date tonight, not her. He could have asked her, but he didn’t. He chose me. It’s just us.’

Fumbling with the zipper, I let out a frustrated breath before finally pulling the door open. “Caleb, can you help me with this?”

His head snapped up, eyes widening as a flush crept up his cheeks. “Of course.”

Caleb stepped forward, hesitating for just a moment before his fingers brushed against my back. His touch was warm, a stark contrast to the cool fabric clinging to my skin. Gently, he gathered the dress, his knuckles ghosting along my spine as he found the zipper.

I held my breath.

Slowly, he pulled it up, the quiet sound of the zipper filling the space between us. With each inch, his fingertips lingered, tracing the curve of my back, sending shivers down my arms. My skin felt hypersensitive, like every nerve was tuned to him and him alone.

When he reached the top, he didn’t step away. Instead, his fingers grazed the nape of my neck, adjusting the fabric, smoothing it into place. His breath was warm against my shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper.

“There,” he murmured. “Perfect.”

I turned slightly, just enough to catch his gaze. His eyes flickered down to my lips, then back up, as if caught in some silent battle with himself. The air between us was thick, charged, pulling me toward him.

“Thank you,” I said softly, my voice barely steady.

His hand lingered for just a second longer before he finally let go, stepping back, but not too far. Not far at all.

I turned around slowly, my heart pounding as I met his gaze. His eyes traced the length of me, starting at the hem of my dress and lingering as they traveled upward, taking in every detail before finally meeting mine.

Caleb swallowed, his lips parting slightly as if he had something to say but couldn’t quite find the words. Then, as if shaken from a spell, he smiled—soft, almost bashful.

“You look beautiful.”

His voice was quiet, reverent, like he wasn’t just saying it, but feeling it. Like the words weren’t enough to capture what he saw.

Warmth spread through me, creeping up my neck, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I’d spent so much time wondering if I looked right beside him, if I fit; but now, standing here, bathed in the glow of his gaze, I didn’t feel out of place.

I felt chosen.

“Hold your compliments until you’ve seen the whole look,” I teased, holding up a finger to silence him. “I still need to put on my shoes and pins.”

Caleb smirked. “Need help with those too?”

I rolled my eyes. “I think I can manage strapping on my own heels and pinning a badge to my dress, thanks.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” He plucked my heels off the dresser, twirling them lazily around his finger, his gaze practically daring me to challenge him.

I huffed but gave in, sinking into my chair. “Fine.”

Caleb knelt in front of me, his fingers warm as they wrapped around my ankle, steady but gentle as if I were something delicate. He slipped the first shoe on, fastening the strap with practiced ease.

“I can do most things myself, y’know,” I muttered, though my voice lacked its usual bite.

“I know.” His fingers lingered against my skin for a fraction too long before he reached for the second shoe. “I just like to be helpful.”

But he still wouldn’t look at me when he said it, and something about the way his voice softened made me think he wasn’t just talking about shoes.

I stood as he finished, reaching for my pins amidst the clutter of my desk and fastening them carefully over my heart. Turning to the mirror, I shifted from side to side, checking every angle, making sure everything was just right.

I glanced back at Caleb. “Are you sure I look okay?”

Without hesitation, he took my hand and lifted it into the air. “Twirl. Let me see.”

I spun for him, the silk of my dress catching the light, and when I turned back, there was something bright in his eyes, something warm, something real.

“You look more than okay,” he said, voice sure with conviction. “I promise.”

I held out my pinky. “Pinky promise?”

He grinned, hooking his finger around mine. “Pinky promise.”

“Lock it,” I reminded him, and he chuckled before pressing his thumb against mine, sealing the deal.

His fingers lingered for a second before he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Now come on, we’re definitely going to be late.”

When we arrived at the gala, it didn’t take long for Caleb to be swept away by a group of guys he often talked to. I lingered around, exchanging polite small talk with a few people I still considered friends. I didn’t see them much anymore, as most of my time was spent with Caleb.

“So, are you two dating?” one of the girls asked, tilting her head. “I thought he was seeing that girl from his hometown… What was her name again?”

“MC.” I said, a little too quickly.

“Right, that’s the one.”

I forced a smile. “No, we’re just good friends.”

But even as I said it, my gaze drifted to where he stood, laughing easily with his own friends, his posture loose and carefree. A quiet ache settled in my chest.

I wanted to be next to him.

But then again, I was; just not in the way they all saw. I knew him in moments no one else did, in the quiet spaces between conversations, in the unspoken gestures and late-night confessions.

And for now, that was enough. It had to be.

I excused myself from the conversation, weaving through the crowd until I reached one of the drink tables. Grabbing a glass, I slipped into the quieter halls, letting the hum of conversation and music fade behind me. The walls were lined with grand, extravagant paintings, each one demanding attention. I paused in front of a few, sipping my drink as I took them in, letting my mind settle.

I wasn’t antisocial, I could hold my own in a room full of people, I just needed a break from the carefully choreographed chaos of the ballroom. 

The rhythmic click of shoes against marble echoed through the quiet hallway, followed by a familiar, soft laugh.

“How did I know I’d find you out here?”

I hummed against the rim of my glass. “Maybe because you can read my mind.”

Caleb shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Sometimes I wish I could.” Then, extending his hand toward me, he asked, “Dance with me?”

I glanced at his outstretched palm. “Out here?”

He tilted his head playfully. “Well, my possible mind-reading powers tell me you’d rather not go back in there.”

A slow smile spread across my face as I laced my fingers with his. “I think you might be psychic.”

The distant music from the ballroom barely reached us, muffled and softened by the grand halls, but somehow, that only made the moment feel more intimate. Caleb’s hands found my waist, warm and steady, while mine slipped around the back of his neck.

He guided us into a slow, easy rhythm. I rested my head just below his chin, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath the fabric of his suit.

We moved without words; his breath against my hair was the only thing I could focus on, like everything else had paused around us.

The world outside the two of us faded, the grand chandelier lights dimming, the chatter and laughter of the crowd becoming a distant murmur. All that remained was the softness of the moment, our steps in sync, and the quiet, unspoken connection between us.

I could feel his thumb tracing gentle patterns against my back, the touch soft in a way that wasn’t rushed. There was no need to hurry, no need to speak. We simply existed in this space, suspended between the melody and the quiet.

His fingers moved up to brush a lock of hair behind my ear, the gesture tender, almost shy. I looked up at him, and his eyes held mine, reassuring.

“You feel like home,” he murmured, so quietly I almost thought I imagined it.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. Instead, I leaned in a little closer, savoring the rhythm of our slow dance, the feeling of him holding me like this, as if the rest of the world didn’t matter at all.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Caleb tapped my shoulder lightly, pulling away just enough for the space between us to feel suddenly too wide. It wasn’t much, but the shift left a coldness in the air, and I immediately wanted to fall back into him.

“Where are you thinking?” I asked.

He pointed toward the window. “There’s a park across the street. We could go there. Away from all… this.” He gestured vaguely, as if the chaos of the gala was still buzzing around us.

I nodded without hesitation, and soon we found ourselves at the park, sitting on an old, rusty swing set. The contrast was stark; our lavish clothes against the worn, weathered metal, but I didn’t care. My dress snagged on the rust as I sat down, but I was too lost in the quiet to be bothered by it. All I wanted was this moment, the stillness, just the two of us away from everything else.

The night air wrapped around us, cool and still, with only the rhythmic creak of the swings and the occasional whisper of wind through the trees breaking the silence. It felt like we existed in a world separate from everything else, suspended in something fragile, something fleeting.

Caleb leaned back against the chain of his swing, his fingers gripping the metal tightly as he looked at me again. That look—like he could see through me, past all the walls I tried so hard to keep up. My pulse hammered in my chest under his gaze.

“You ever feel like… you don’t know where you stand with someone?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes flickered, something unreadable passing through them. “Yeah,” he said quietly, but with a certainty that made my stomach twist. “All the time.”

For a second, just a fleeting, breathless second; I wondered if he meant me.

I forced a smile, trying to ease the tension hanging between us. I nudged my swing into his, making it sway slightly. “You have a really good sense of self-restraint,” I teased, the words a shield to keep myself from feeling too much. “It’s almost a talent.”

His lips curved, but it was thin, hollow—there was something sad in it. “Is that a bad thing?”

I tilted my head, watching him. “No… well, maybe. Sometimes, I guess. I think you have a habit of depriving yourself of what you really want.”

Caleb looked down, his boot dragging against the dirt beneath him. “What if I can’t have what I want?” His voice was rougher now, lower. “What if it’s not allowed?”

I reached forward, gripping the chain of his swing, giving it a slight shake to bring his eyes back to mine. “If it’s within your reach, it’s legal, and you’re not hurting anyone, I don’t see a problem.” My breath hitched, and my chest tightened as I spoke. “If I had to guess, you’re trying to convince yourself you can’t have something.”

His exhale was shaky, and a bitter laugh barely escaped him. “Maybe, yeah.”

I saw it then—the decision in his eyes, the surrender.

And then, he moved.

Caleb leaned in first, closing the space between us with a quiet certainty that made my breath catch. I barely had time to react before his lips met mine; soft, warm, real. My fingers clenched around the swing’s chain for balance, but it didn’t matter. My whole world had already tilted.

The kiss started slow, tentative, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Caleb’s hand found my jaw, his fingers brushing my skin, grounding me as he deepened the kiss. There was no hesitation, no pulling away—only the quiet urgency of something inevitable, something long overdue.

I let myself sink into it, forget everything outside this moment. The cold night air, the weight of the past few months, the uncertainty of what came next—it all melted away as Caleb kissed me like he’d been waiting for this as long as I had.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and dazed, our foreheads nearly touching, Caleb let out a quiet, almost incredulous chuckle. His thumb brushed over my cheek, lingering there like he was memorizing the feel of me.

His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything—just letting the silence settle between us like something sacred.

I tried to catch my breath, still feeling the warmth of his touch all over me. “I—uh, I didn’t think that was how tonight would go.”

“Me either,” he admitted softly.

I bit my lip, searching for something to say, but my thoughts were still tangled up in the kiss. The taste of him lingered, sweet and unfamiliar, like a song you’d heard once and couldn’t forget. The warmth of his breath was still etched into the space between us, and the silence felt heavy, like it was holding something fragile; something we both weren’t quite ready to name. I felt the words sitting at the edge of my mind, waiting, but they were lost in the echo of his touch, the weight of everything unsaid.

Caleb gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his touch so tender it almost felt like he was afraid to break something.

There was a quiet moment, just us sitting there, the air between us charged and delicate. Caleb’s fingers brushed along my wrist, and he gave a small, hesitant laugh.

“Is it weird to say I’m kind of glad we did this here?”

I smiled, the tension easing slightly. “Not at all. There’s something nice about having a moment that’s just ours.”

He glanced up at the dark sky, the stars scattered above us. “Yeah, it’s like we’re in our own little world. Just us.”

I took a deep breath, trying to settle the fluttering in my chest. “Then let’s not rush back. Let’s just stay here for a little longer.”

He grinned, that easy smile of his, and nodded. “I’m in.”

We swayed gently, both of us still lost in the quiet, the stillness of the park and the soft feeling that somehow, things were different now. 

Better.

November-

The moment on the swings stays with me long after it’s over, a quiet echo that pulses in the back of my mind, haunting the spaces between my thoughts. It lingers in the way Caleb reaches for my hand without thinking, in the brief touches we exchange. The kiss, though, that’s the one that lingers the longest; the warmth of him, the certainty that wrapped around me like a promise. 

He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t hold back.

I tell myself it was nothing, that it was just a rush, a fleeting spark that will eventually fade with time. 

But it doesn’t. 

Instead, it settles into the corners of me, a quiet undercurrent beneath everything else.

Everything is subtle at first, in the little things. His hand brushing against mine when we walk, his knee grazing mine when we sit side by side, the way his texts come more often now, careful and soft. When we’re together, it feels like we really have built our own little world, a space apart from everything else. And I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, it’s enough.

Though one night, I find him distant. His gaze fixed on his phone, jaw tight like he’s trying to hold something in. He barely speaks, his words sharp and short, his mind somewhere else entirely. I don’t ask, don’t press him for an answer. But I know.

It’s her.

And in that moment, something clicks.

I’m not the only one caught between two worlds. Caleb is, too.

The realization doesn’t ease the ache, it only makes it worse. Because if there’s a choice, I already know who he’ll choose.

Training’s getting harder, and graduation is only a few months away. The exhaustion is catching up to all of us, but I feel as if it's hitting me the hardest. Barely sleeping, too many long nights and even longer days, each one blending into the next until I can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. I can feel my body wearing down, but I keep pushing, because what else is there to do? Let myself stop and think?

Ha.

No.

Caleb notices, though. He’s just as drained as I am, but he’s still there, watching me. He always makes sure I eat, even when I don’t feel like it. Reminds me to drink water when I forget, and always seems to be there after training, hanging around like he’s making sure I don’t collapse right there on the floor.

I try not to let it mean anything, try not to read too much into it. He’s just being a friend, right?

But it’s hard to ignore the way he lingers, the way his eyes flicker with something I can’t quite place when I sway slightly on my feet, too tired to stand straight. He doesn’t say anything, but his hand is there, steady on my arm, holding me like he doesn’t want to let go.

Caleb picked me up from the Academy airport after a training flight. We were supposed to grab lunch, but when his eyes landed on my exhausted form, something in his expression softened.

“Let’s get you home, yeah?” he said, his voice gentle.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the exhaustion. “No, I’m fine. Let’s just go—” But before I could finish, my body betrayed me, and I stumbled forward, barely able to keep myself upright.

Caleb’s hand was there in an instant, steadying me by the shoulder and wrapping his arm around me like he wasn’t letting go. “I think you’d fall asleep in your food and suffocate. When was the last time you slept?”

“Yesterday… no, Tuesday? I don’t really remember.”

I threw on my coat, but Caleb’s gaze was still on me, studying me like he could see right through the act I was trying to put on.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered, glaring at him. “I’m fine. Let’s hurry before we miss the bus.”

Standing outside at the bus stop, I shivered against Caleb's arm around me (that was still trying to hold me up). He asked me about my day, if I had eaten breakfast; simple questions that didn’t require much thinking on my part and patient, non-expectant responses from him. I pressed my body closer into his, trying to soak up his warmth, and maybe even share a bit of my own. 

He looked down at me and chuckled, ruffling my hair, “Just a bit longer, honey.”

And he was right, seconds later the bus pulled up. I was practically bouncing to get inside and out of this weather.

Snatching the window seat, I stuck my tongue out at Caleb as he situated himself next to me. “You’re evil, you know that right.” 

The bus was a welcomed relief from the biting cold outside, the warmth inside wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. My coat was serving as a blanket, and I don’t even remember when I drifted off, but at some point I found myself asleep on Caleb’s shoulder.

I half-awoke to him nudging me gently. “Hey, this is my dorm, let’s get off here.”

Groggily, I shook my head, struggling to form a thought. “No, s’okay, my stop is next…”

He chuckled softly, and I could hear the concern in his voice. “I don’t trust you not to fall back asleep and miss your dorm.” His fingers brushed through my hair to comb the strands away from my eyes, his touch tender as he looked at me. “Just come back up with me. You can sleep there until you’re good to go back.”

I barely had the strength to argue, so I let him lead me, sleepily leaning against him the entire way. By the time we reached his room, I was barely conscious. He helped me take off my coat and shoes, and without a second thought, I crawled onto his bed, curling up into a ball as sleep claimed me again.

When I woke, the world outside was dark, and it took a moment to realize where I was. The blanket was soft against my skin, and I noticed Caleb beside me, his face relaxed in sleep. It was the first time I’d ever seen him look so at ease, so… soft.

I felt a pang of guilt when I noticed the clock beside his bed. It was nearing one in the morning. He probably wanted to sleep, but I had taken over his space.

I started to sit up, but before I could move, an arm wrapped around my waist.

“Where are you going?” Caleb’s voice was thick with sleep, and I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I turned to see him blinking slowly up at me.

“I have to go home,” I murmured, my words barely above a whisper. I reached out, hand instinctively brushing his face, but then I stopped myself and pulled it back.

He toyed with the hem of my t-shirt, and I felt the warmth of his touch spread through me. I could feel myself melting under his proximity. “It’s too late,” he said softly, his voice almost a plea. “Just stay here.”

“Caleb—”

“Or I can walk you home,” he added, his eyes still half-closed, and he stretched as if to get up, but I placed my hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“No, really, it’s okay.”

He smirked a little, still mischievous even through sleep. “You pick. I either walk you home, or you stay here.”

In that moment, the stillness of the night seemed to press in around us, and my heart ached. Caleb was a vice. He was dangerous.

“Okay,” I whispered, my resolve crumbling. “I’ll stay.”

The room is quiet except for Caleb’s steady breathing. The city of Skyhaven hums faintly outside, the night stretching endlessly around us. I’m awake now, but I can’t bring myself to move. Caleb’s hand rests lightly on my waist, like he’s afraid I’ll slip away if he lets go. It’s nothing, really. Just a small, almost casual touch. 

But it feels like everything. 

It sets my entire body on fire, this little contact. I shouldn’t be here, not like this, not after everything. But I don’t leave. Instead, I sink back down, letting the warmth of the blanket and his presence pull me under.

We don’t speak. There’s nothing to say. No explanations, no excuses—just this fragile moment, suspended in time, hanging between us. Caleb’s breathing evens out again, his grip loosening as sleep pulls him back under. I stay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft sounds of the night. I know this is a mistake. I know when the sun rises, when the reality of the world outside finally settles in, things will go back to how they were.

He’ll wake up, stretch, rub the sleep from his eyes, and we’ll pretend like this never happened. He’ll go back to talking about MC, and whatever this—whatever we—will remain suspended in the realm of “almosts” and “what-ifs.” But for now, in this quiet moment, I close my eyes. I let myself have this, just for tonight. Because even if it means nothing to him, it means everything to me.

Morning comes too quickly.

I stir first, blinking against the soft light filtering through the blinds. For a second, everything feels warm and comforting. Caleb’s steady breathing beside me, the weight of the blanket, the quiet hum of the city waking up outside.

Then, reality crashes back in. I shouldn’t be here. Not like this.

Carefully, I try to slip out from beneath the covers, but the moment I move, Caleb stirs. His grip tightens around my waist, pulling me closer just a little before his eyes flutter open.

He looks at me, caught between sleep and consciousness, and for a second, there’s something in his gaze; a softness that makes my breath catch in my chest. But then, he blinks, and it’s gone.

“You’re awake,” his voice is thick with sleep, raspy, and it twists something inside of me. He doesn’t let go.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “I should go.”

Caleb doesn’t respond at first. His fingers absently trace the hem of my sleeve, like he’s thinking, weighing something.

Then, finally—

“You don’t have to.”

It’s quiet. Hesitant. It feels like a confession wrapped in uncertainty.

I swallow hard. “Caleb…”

I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. I just know this, this tension, this dangerous line we’re walking, is too much.

He sits up slowly, rubbing a hand over his face, and then he looks at me. His expression is unreadable, and it makes my heart clench.

“Look,” he sighs, like this is some sort of explanation. “I know things have been… complicated.”

Complicated. That’s one way to put it.

I scoff and shake my head. “You think?”

He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

And that hurts more than it should. Because I know what I’m doing. I’m falling. I’ve been falling for so long, and I’m pretty sure I’m about to hit the ground.

“I can’t keep doing this,” I whisper, my voice barely steady.

His jaw tightens. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Something inside me cracks.

“Then stop making me feel like I’m something you have to choose.”

Silence. And that’s when I know.

He won’t say it, but I already have my answer. Because if I was ever truly an option, I wouldn’t be standing here, begging for clarity.

I nod to myself, standing up. “I need to go.”

This time, he doesn’t stop me.

December-

It hurts, it really hurts. 

My chest aches like it’s been hollowed out, and every breath feels too heavy, too sharp. My body trembles, like it’s trying to hold itself together, but it’s already unraveling. 

Is this what dying feels like? 

Is this death? 

The slow suffocation of something that was once whole? 

Or is this grief?

Endless, suffocating grief—bleeding through my veins, consuming everything I am.

I can’t tell anymore. Only that it hurts. So much. 

I don’t even know who I am anymore. 

I feel like a hollow shell.

January-

The snow falls lightly, dusting the pavement with delicate flakes as I walk across campus. The world feels quiet, wrapped in winter’s cold embrace, but inside me? There’s nothing but noise, a clamor I can’t silence. Just as fast as everything had began, it ended just as quickly. 

I didn’t expect Caleb to reach out. After everything, after the silence between us that’s stretched since November, I thought he’d let the distance settle. Let whatever we had fade into something unspoken, unresolved.

But then I got the text.

can we talk?

And because I’m weak, because no matter how much I want to convince myself I’ve moved on, I know I haven’t, so I agreed.

Now, I’m here, waiting outside the coffee shop, my breath clouding in the cold air. Caleb’s already inside, sitting by the window with his fingers curled around a paper cup. When he sees me, he gives a small, hesitant smile. He looks the same, yet it feels so foreign.

I steel myself and walk inside.

“Hey,” he says when I slide into the seat across from him.

“Hey,” I echo, my voice flat, unreadable.

We sit in silence for a moment, the weight of everything hanging between us.

He exhales, looking down at his coffee. “I hate how things have been between us.”

I don’t say anything, just let him speak.

“I miss you,” he admits, and for a moment, my heart stumbles. But before I can process it, he adds, “I don’t want to lose you, I want us to still be friends.”

Friends.

I should have expected this. Maybe I did. Maybe I’ve just been foolish enough to hope for something else.

I swallow, my fingers tightening around my cup. “Friends.”

He nods, earnest, like he doesn’t realize he’s twisting a knife into my chest. “Yeah. I mean, we were good at that, right? Before things got… complicated.”

Complicated. That word again.

I take a slow breath, trying to force the ache in my chest to quiet. Maybe this is what we need. Maybe being friends, just friends, will hurt less than losing him completely.

So I offer a small smile, one that feels forced but I try to make it real. “Yeah. We were.”

Relief flashes across his face, and something deep inside me tugs painfully. But I ignore it.

We can do this.

We have to.

“Are we okay?” he asks carefully.

I hesitate for a second, just a moment, but then I nod. “Yeah. We’re okay.”

And maybe, if I say it enough times, it’ll start to feel true.

We step outside together, the cold air biting at my skin. We walk side by side, but it’s different now. Less certain, more fragile. But for now, it’s enough. We’re still in each other’s lives. And that has to count for something.

February-

The cold of February feels different this year. It’s sharp, biting at my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the way the distance between Caleb and me has settled; thick, suffocating.

We’re friends. At least, that’s what we tell ourselves.

But every interaction feels like a shadow of what it used to be. We pass each other on campus, exchanging forced smiles, awkward pleasantries. He texts me sometimes, but the messages are clipped, casual. The playful banter, the inside jokes—we don’t have those anymore.

I’ve gotten good at pretending it doesn’t hurt. I laugh at his jokes when we’re in class together, crack a smile when he waves in passing. I tell myself that being near him, even like this, is better than nothing.

But it isn’t. It isn’t better at all.

One afternoon, after class, Caleb waits for me while I pack my things, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jacket. His eyes meet mine, but they flicker away quickly, like he’s not sure how to look at me anymore.

“Hey,” he says, his voice quieter than it used to be.

I force a smile, but it feels too tight, too stretched.

We walk together, but the silence between us is thick. We’re not really talking anymore. Not like before.

“How’s everything?” I ask, trying to fill the space with something. Anything.

Caleb shrugs, his gaze far off. “Same as usual. You know how it is.”

I don’t know how it is. Not anymore.

“And you?” he asks, almost apologetically, like he’s afraid he’ll break something if he pushes too hard.

“I’m good,” I say, too quickly. Too easily. I wish I could say something that would make it sound like we haven’t drifted so far apart. But I can’t.

The truth is, I don’t feel good. Not at all.

The rest of the walk is silent, and when we reach the place where our paths diverge, Caleb gives me a tight, awkward smile.

“Catch you later,” he says, already turning away before I can say anything else.

I watch him walk off, the weight of all the things we never said hanging between us.

It’s painful. But I swallow it down. I have to.

The days pass, and we continue this dance; one of shallow conversations, stiff smiles. Every text feels like a performance. Every interaction, a reminder that we’re no longer who we used to be.

One night, I sit at my desk, the glow of my laptop screen casting a pale light over my face. My phone vibrates on the table beside me. Caleb’s name.

I hesitate before picking it up.

hey, are you free later?

My heart skips a beat, but I force myself to respond.

Yeah, what’s up?

There’s a long pause before his next message.

i was thinking we could grab coffee. but no pressure, just thought it might be nice.

The words “just thought it might be nice” sting more than I expected. It’s so casual, so simple—like the idea of spending time together doesn’t carry any of the weight it used to.

But I can’t back out now. I can’t keep pretending that I’m not still craving his company, even if it’s not the same.

Sure, sounds good.

When we meet at our usual café, the air between us is thick. We talk, but it’s like we’re strangers, circling around the things we used to share so easily. Caleb talks about his classes, and I nod, smile at the right times, but it doesn’t feel like we’re really connecting anymore.

I tell myself it’s fine. This is what we agreed to. That being friends is better than nothing.

And no matter how many times I tell myself I’m over it, no matter how many times I remind myself that this is what I chose; it still hurts.

When we part ways that evening, Caleb gives me a small, almost apologetic smile. “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” I reply, throat tight. “See you.”

I watch him leave, and I can’t help but feel like a piece of myself is slowly drifting farther away.

March-

I can’t keep doing this.

April-

The months start to feel like a slow, inevitable slide into something I can’t quite escape. The air has warmed, and the snow is nothing more than a distant memory, but the silence between Caleb and me cuts deeper than any winter chill.

We still see each other every day. We still share the same spaces, the same halls, the same class. But now, we’re nothing more than shadows of what we once were. Just two people who used to mean something to each other, now standing on opposite sides of a wide, unbridgeable gap.

We promised to be friends. We promised we’d make it work. But those promises feel empty now. There’s no joy in our interactions, no spark. Every conversation is forced, every laugh hollow. We’ve become experts at pretending, at wearing the mask of “just friends,” even though neither of us believes it for a second.

I’ve tried to move on, but when I see him, it’s like a miserable cold wave crashing over me. His eyes, once warm and inviting, are distant now; like he’s holding back something I’m not allowed to know. Even though he’s still there, still around, it feels like he’s lightyears away.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, sitting alone in the student lounge, my books spread out in front of me though not really focused on them. My phone buzzes, and I glance down at the message, already knowing who it’s from.

Caleb.

I hesitate before opening it, my fingers lingering over the screen.

i’m outside the library, want to grab coffee?

My heart skips. I want to say yes. 

I want to say yes more than anything. 

But a part of me knows how this will go. Another awkward conversation. Another round of small talk and unspoken feelings.

I’m tired. Tired of pretending things are fine when nothing is fine.

I can’t, sorry.

May-

The day is warm, but there’s a crispness in the air, the kind that signals a transition; between seasons, between chapters, between what was and what will be. The hum of excitement fills the air, the kind only a graduation ceremony can bring. Students in their uniforms mill around the venue, laughter and shouts of celebration ringing through the open space.

I move through the crowd, my diploma and badges in hand, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. I should feel proud, should feel accomplished. And I do, somewhere deep inside. But there’s something else, something heavier, lingering beneath the surface. The kind of feeling I’ve spent the past few months pushing away, convincing myself I’ve moved past.

Then, I see them.

Caleb stands a few feet away, surrounded by the floods of people. I notice he’s staring ahead into the crowd, and a girl comes crashing into him with the kind of ease that twists my stomach; MC.

She leans in, close—too close. And then, as if the universe had been waiting for the perfect moment to shatter the fragile balance I had built, she presses a kiss to his cheek. It’s celebratory, happy, and by the look on Caleb's face, just enough.

The world tilts.

For a second, the sounds around me blur into static, the conversations and cheers fading into the background. The weight of months of restraint, of quiet acceptance, of pretending I was fine, collapses all at once. The carefully built walls around my emotions crack under the force of everything I had tried so desperately to move past.

I thought I had let go. I thought I had made peace with everything that had happened. But in this moment, watching him, watching them, it all comes rushing back. The late nights, the quiet moments, the unspoken words that once sat between us. The way he once looked at me, the way he’s looking at her. The realization that, despite all my efforts, my heart had never truly stopped waiting.

I force my feet to move, to carry me past them, past the reminders of what could have been, of what wasn’t mine to hold onto anymore.

The weight in my chest is suffocating, but I refuse to stop, refuse to break—not here, not now. Because this is supposed to be a celebration, the closing of a chapter, the start of something new.

Maybe in another life, it was never a competition. Maybe in another universe, I don’t have to worry about her. In that world, I am her—running into Caleb’s arms, stealing his hat, and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Yes. In another universe, I am her.

[laddelulu30]

Grey Shirt Ovulation

tags: Breeding kink, multiple orgasms, mirror sex,

Pairings: POC Non-MC/Reader x Caleb

A/N: So.. This is dedicated to a fellow Tumblr whose prompt I found and immediately jumped at the idea. I know I have other WIPs that I’m already working on. But I honestly couldn’t resist. This is for you @minaaa444. Thank you for the stimulation…. I mean motivation. You came up with the idea and my debauched mind did the rest. I hope I did you proud. Likes, reposts, and comments are very appreciated. Because I have a praise kink. So, if you liked it, tell me I did a good job, that I was a good girl. And even if you didn’t like it, tell me anyway. It helps me learn what to do and what not to do.

also tagging: @ainsley-official @marvichi @fuckin0-0anime @harrys-sunflower-bakery

@unintentionalseductress @jinwoosbabyboo @aeyumicore @lyn31 @zaynes-wifey @someprettyname @uyai1101-lads

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You had just sent in a request to have the next four days off. Which had taken an additional three days before Team Leader Jenna could approve it.

“Congrats Hunter, your four day leave has been approved. Should I be concerned why my most dedicated and talented Deepspace Hunter has requested time off?” she asks.

“Nothing serious, I promise,” you laugh, giving her an easy smile, “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll return to full duty as soon as my requested days up.”

“Alright,” she says, but you can tell by her expression that she doesn’t quite believe you, but she doesn’t press.

You take your things from your work locker then make your way home.

Standing in your living room, feeling the stillness in the air,

you start to feel restless.

Without a thought… or a plan for that matter. You take a trip to Skyhaven.

Almost as if you had been called there, you go to Caleb’s place. You have a key, and you know the code, so you don’t think to call or text him to let him know that you’re

So… you just walk in.

Not that Caleb would’ve minded. He likes having you in his space. But with your conflicting schedules, seeing each other became more of a pipe dream than a possible reality.

Until at this moment.

Closing the door and locking it behind you, you take a few steps inside then stop.

Looking around, you felt the same burning need to do…. something. You weren’t sure what, but you’d figure it out.

Touching everything fleetingly, like a gentle caress. It almost seemed like you were visiting him for the very first time, and you were curious about everything in sight.

But it wasn’t your first time here. And it was still early, nearly midday.

You didn’t know what to do with yourself. You had never been home around this time, not working or the very least on a mission.

So.. this was all new territory for you.

After a few more minutes of aimless idling, touching random

What to do? you thought to yourself.

things, you decide to cook something for yourself.

You make yourself a small pot of braised pork belly over rice. Which turns out to feed at least three more people.

You snort, mocking yourself for poor size control but then praise your cooking.

You’ve gotten better. Cooking with Caleb has been upping your cooking skills.

After polishing off your bowl, you clean up what you used to cook, then set the pot to really low heat and put the lid on it. You wash dishes then dry them.

Then you decide to soak in the bath… until you remember.

You didn’t bring anything with you.

But you’re already here. And there was no way you were gonna head home when there was a sliver of a chance that Caleb already has what you needed in his place.

And since Caleb kept his place so immaculate. Orderly. OCD type orderly. You were sure he had something you could use… and wear.

You really did act like an impulsive teenager coming all the way to Skyhaven without some semblance of a plan.

Taking a chance, you checkout his bathroom anyway. And you’re surprised when you find your favorite oils, bathing milk, body wash, shampoo & conditioner, and body lotion tucked underneath his cabinet in the bathroom.

You want to question it, but at this moment, you’re thankful more than anything.

He even had your strawberry cheesecake body scrub that you liked.

A man that listened and remembered. Was such a turn on. But you push the thought away, pouring the vanilla bathing milk in the hot water as it filled the tub.

When you got it where you wanted it, you turned the water off and got naked, sinking into the water. An appreciative moan echoes off the walls of the bathroom.

The water felt amazing.

You soak in the water for an hour before bathing and getting out. You clean the tub then wrap a towel around your thick, curvy figure, hair pulled up from a scrunchie that had been in Caleb’s cabinet.

A scrunchie you hadn’t realized you’d left, but he had held on to.

You go into his bedroom, curiously rifling through his drawers with one hand. And you discover that in one of the drawers… is a new pack of underwear. Lace. Your size.

You open them but they smell like fabric softener.

“He must’ve washed them and then returned them to their original package…” you muse aloud, eyes drawn to a pair of red lace boy shorts.

So… You put them on then allow the towel to drop, looking for one of his shirts you could wear. Your eyes stop on a grey shirt with the logo of the flying academy Caleb had gone to before going to work with the DAA.

You put the shirt up to your nose, inhaling it. The shirt is clean, but smells like him. Like cinnamon and apples. Crisp. And mouthwatering.

The scrunchie out of your hair. Your dark red hair falls down your back in a cascade of damp waves, caressing your lower back.

Mine. Your mind claims and so you put it on, taking

You look in the mirror, trying to admire your reflection. Your eyes take in your appearance. Thick plushy thighs. Smooth chocolate skin. Petite frame. Hazel green eyes.

To Caleb, you looked like a Deity fallen to Philos. A temptation he wouldn’t resist.

But to you..

You move away from the mirror, picking up after yourself so that you don’t make a mess or leave one behind.

Besides, you want to surprise him. If that’s possible.

You leave the room, going into his other bedroom, curious to see what’s in there.

It’s the guest room you had used once before but now, during your absence… was unrecognizable. He had remodeled it to fit your tastes.. Should you have wished to rest in a separate room.

“He’s so unbelievably sweet, it would give someone a tooth ache, or a cavity,” you laugh to yourself.

You have another thought. One darker.. more sinful.

“I bet he looks sexy in that uniform,” you murmur to yourself, fingers inching to touch. Him. Yourself. Anything to make the fire go away.

You look around, checking the clock on the wall for the time.

2:38 p.m.

It’s still early enough. Maybe you could… and maybe he’d be working and you didn’t have to risk him catching you rubbing one out in his shirt… and the underwear he bought for you.

You had to admit that the mere thought was sounding more enticing by the second.

Without hesitating for another second, you close the door to the guest room, locking it behind you.

You lay on the bed, observing that it also smelled like Caleb.

Had he slept here as well when he had his own bedroom? you wonder, the thought a whisper in the back of your mind.

Your mind hadn’t lingered on the thought for long.Your body had more… pressing urges.

You bring the hem of his shirt to your face and held the material between your teeth. Inhaling his scent, your body comes alive once more.

Urging. Craving. Hungry.

Tentively, you roll your nipples between your fingers with one hand and your needy, swollen clit is rubbed with the other.

You keep your moans and whimpers as quiet as you can, but your pussy has other ideas. So engrossed with satisfying your growing and insistent lust, that you don’t notice the front door unlock.

You also don’t notice the front door open and closing.

Caleb gets home early, feeling frustrated, an itch he couldn’t ignore. He had been feeling irritable all day, and he figured going home to shower and shamelessly stroke his aching cock to your name would help ease his mood.

Only… when he got home, he tossed his uniform jacket and hat on the arm of the couch then stilled.

Someone was in his home. He checked his bedroom and noticed that the thing he’d left for you, bought for you had been moved. Used.

Snatching off his shirt and kicking off his boots so that only his pants remained. He hastily pulled open the belt and opened the zipper of his pants.

He calls your name.

When there’s no response, he decides to hunt for you. His hunger for you growing with every step.

He yearned to taste you, to have his face nestled between your velvety thighs like soft, fleshy pillows.

He called your name again, and again there was no answer.

Had she come to take a shower then left again? he wondered for only a second. Then saw your pile of clothes that you had worn there in the hamper. So, she was either naked somewhere in the loft or she had worn my clothes to go out.

Either possibility made him impossibly harder. The thought of you wearing his clothes, his scent on your skin set off a primal hunger he had been trying to keep buried. His throat went dry and his thoughts grew muddy.

It became a need to find you.

His steps became more desperate as he nearly passed the guest room. Immediately noticing the irregularity of the door being closed.

He went to twist the knob. Locked. And his mind went absolutely feral but his demeanor didn’t change.

“Princess?” he said, and there was a sound.

He didn’t know what the sound came from, but now he knew for sure you were in the room. Could smell strawberries through the door.

Then he heard it. The sweetest, neediest moan he’d ever heard you make.

What were you doing? His mind pressed with the desperate need to get to you. To see why you would be making that sound, and why it wasn’t because of him.

“Princess, what are you doing in there?” he asked, his voice breathless from restraint, using his Evol to unlock the door.

He was, however, not prepared for the sight that lay before him. His knees nearly gave out.

You. In his shirt. Pleasuring yourself. Two fingers, knuckles deep in your pussy. Eyes closed, consumed by your own need and pleasure, unaware of anything happening around you.

The sounds. Gods. The sounds your pussy was making. It made him hungry. Hungrier than he had grown trying to take things slow with you.

But it seemed… slow hadn’t been doing either of you any favors.

Slowly, so that he doesn’t startle you, he padded barefoot to the bed. Ever so softly did he touch your thigh.

His voice was thick with need. Barely restrained self control. “Princess, is that… my grey shirt?”

Your thigh muscles tensed at the light touch, then relaxed. Your eyes snapping open. Pupils blown and cloudy with lust. And when he asked the question, you answer with a whining, “Yes.”

He almost moaned like a fucking hormonal teenager but managed not to make a sound.

That tone. That whine nearly caused his self control to splinter into nothing. He leaned between your thighs, gently running his nose along the inner part of it. Inhaling the scent of you. Strawberries

His voice was rough, soft and raspy, almost like a growl, “Do you… need help, little bird?”

“Yes,” came your reply, still as needy as before, the hand on your nipple fell away, reaching for him.

And that was all the permission he needed. With his stomach pressed into the bed, he moved his face closer to the heaven between your thighs.

You were so wet. And you smelled so good. It made him dizzy. But he moved slowly.

He wrapped his fingers around your generous hips, thumbs rubbing into your skin before he pressed into it, pulling you closer to him, slowly pulling your fingers away.

Your calves settled on his shoulders and he swallowed, barely able to control himself. But he needed to. Didn’t want to scare you. Didn’t want you to recede back into your reserved shell.

Not when this is the result of what happens when you let your desires take hold of you.

“How long.. had you been waiting for me, princess?” he rasps, gentle. Encouraging.

“I.. got here midday..” you admit, melting under the darkening galaxy of his purple and dusty pink gaze.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked, peppering the inside of your thigh with gentle kisses.

“I.. wanted to.. surprise you..” a raspy pant.

“For this?” he smirked, chuckling. It was to cover up the pathetic moan that almost escaped his lips.

“N-no. But then.. I smelled your shirt.. and I don’t know what came over me,” you admit, “But my fingers aren’t enough anymore.”

Caleb freezes. Doesn’t breathe.

“Please… I need you,” you whimper.

And the control he had held back snapped like a rubber band. It called forth the hunger that had burned within him that had grown progressively more intense.

But in your lustful state, you didn’t see it. The way the look in his eyes changed, the way his muscles tensed and moved beneath the skin on his back.

He rubbed his nose against your clit like he was trying to coat his face with your slick, you squeak from the sensation. And with a rumble in his chest, he takes a long and slow swipe of his tongue to your dripping cunt.

He moaned… fucking whimpered at the taste of you.

Then… he’s devouring you like you were a gift he’d received in the desert. An Oasis to his dry tongue and parched throat.

Fingers pressing deeper into your skin, pressing into the underside of your thighs. He pulls you tighter against his face.

Oxygen the least important thing to him at the moment.

He worshipped your pussy like it was a drugging need. Shameless. Loud. He licked and sucked, moaning against your wet folds.

And you whined, mewling at the attention his ravenous mouth slaked on you. He changed his speed, his angle on you, desperate to pull more of those cute sounds from you.

Deliberate now, he made you climax five times on his tongue before pulling away. Only for a few seconds.

Not bothering to push his pants all the way down, he simply pulls his throbbing cock from his pants.

Enthralled by your trembling body, he returned between your thighs. His fingers hooked under your knees, pushing them back toward you.

He places his hard length over your folds, moving slowly. He moaned as your weeping cunt wets the underside of his cock.

You press your fingers into his lower torso, whimpering.

Overstimulated. But still oh so wet and needy. Trembling.

He groans, gently grasping those fingers and bringing them up to his lips, placing gentle fervent kisses on your fingertips.

“Shh… it’s okay, princess, I’ve got you,” he whispers, moving over your glistening lips, wetting his cock further with your slick.

“Caleb,” you pant, voice calling his name, exhausted from the rapid fire, consecutive orgasms he had wrung from you earlier.

But he hadn’t had enough you. Never. He was just getting started.

“Hm? What is it, baby?” he practically croons, almost teasing.

“I can’t…” you start.

But you don’t get the chance to finish. He slowly, oh so slowly, pushes inside you. Eyes fluttering shut as a guttural groan leaves his lips, head falling back.

You groan just as he does, blending into one voice, one sound.

“You… feel so good,” he moans, leaning down to whisper in your ear, arms wrapping around your shoulders.

Your fingers dig into his lower back, legs tightening around his waist.

He lets out a breathless laugh. “You’re squeezing me so tightly like you’re… fuck.. afraid I’ll leave. I’m not.. (shaky gasp) going anywhere, baby.”

“Caleb..” you whine, arching.

"Shh…” his teeth nip your neck, gently sinking into the skin, “I’ve got you.”

His pace is slow, like he’s savoring the feeling of you, pulling one arm away from your neck to slowly trail up and down your thigh. His nail gently raking your skin, a shiver traveling through your body.

He gives your neck a lick and a claiming bite and your legs tighten around him, another orgasm tearing through you viscously. Unforgiving

He hisses, holding back his own, voice breathless, “Fuck, baby…” He doesn’t wait for your orgasm to pass, he continues to slide in and out of your quivering walls. Slowly. Deliberately.

It’s maddening pace but you’re drunk on the pleasure of it. The squelching and the feeling of absolute euphoria consume you, the sounds an echo through the bedroom.

“I… missed you…” you blurt out, a keening whisper.

Caleb stops, pulling back to look at your face. But the pout on your lips begs him not to stop. So he doesn’t.

“Oh?” he questions, breathless, arching a brow, his eyes glued to where your bodies met.

“Y-yes,” you reply with a broken whine, “I had… been trying to keep my distance… so that I didn’t seem …needy or clingy. Monopolizing your time.”

A ghost of a smile on his lips, “Princess, I would’ve loved for you to do that… to want to spend your time with me. Wanting me… I thought… we were taking it slow, because… you needed time to adjust.”

“No… I wanted… wanted,” another moan rips through you,

Cutting through what you were going to say.

“Baby.. you’re so sensitive right now. Is it because we haven’t… or is it… something else?” he groans as if he doesn’t know.

Like he doesn’t track your period or track how many times you’re eating a day. Like he doesn’t check what you eat and monitor how it affects your body.

But you know he does. You’re just not sure if he knows you know. But fine.. you’d play along. It was more fun anyway. Watching his reactions when you said out-of-pocket things and brushing them off as if they were nothing.

But there would be no brushing this off. Not when he was dick deep in your pussy. Evidence of your increased arousal both auditory and visual.

“I… think… I’m ovulating,” you admit, watching his face with droopy eyes.

So many orgasms, your body trembling, but it was evident that you needed more. More… something.

You watch his face shift, feel his body tremble. A hard tremor racing through him.

Ovulating? Yeah, he fucking knew. If the tracking app didn’t tell him, he would’ve known regardless. Could tell by the way you smell that you were ovulating. You had always smelled sweet. But during your cycle where you were ovulating, you smelled like forbidden fruit. Delectable.

You had kept your distance during those months, but he wondered what had changed.

And as much as it killed him, he asked, “Do you want me to stop?”

Faster than you’d registered in your mind, your body moved. Your fingers wrapping tightly around the base of his cock. Stilling him with the rest of his length buried inside you.

“If you pull out, I swear I will drive a knife deep into your abdomen,” you threaten, hardly recognizing your own voice.

He gasps, gaze locked with yours. Not by fear but by intense lust. A violent tremor traveled through him at your threat.

It had aroused him so intensely that he was mere seconds from plunging as deep as he could go and coating your drenched walls with every drop of his load and still going back for a second one.

He grunted with the effort of holding back.

“G-got it. I… (pant) got it, princess. I’m not going to stop… but if you… don’t let go… (whisper) I’m gonna cum,” his voice is strained, raspy. He’s holding out, but not for much long.

That whimper is what seals it. Emboldening you. Like a whisper or gentle stroke of fingers in your thoughts, you want him to. Want him inside, consequences be damned.

And you’re not sure if it’s because of the sound he made or because you had voiced your suspicion, making it real.

Were you ovulating? Or had the lack of sex made you absolutely feral and uninhibited.

Whatever the cause. Whatever the reason, a decision was made. And it wasn’t the one you would’ve normally made.

“You need to cum, hm?” your voice raspy, almost purring as your fingers loosened their grip on Caleb’s cock and slowly traveled to grasp the velvety sac of his balls, rubbing, gently caressing.

“Go on. Cum for me, Colonel,” you whispered, smirking, holding his gaze. Relishing in watching his eyes widen in shock.

Then he grunted, “P-princess.. don’t.. please.”

He trembled again. There was that whimper again.

“My sexy Colonel. Cum for me. Cum inside me. Your princess commands it,” you whisper, a slow drawl, heat thick in your voice and in your darkened eyes.

He wasn’t sure what had changed. What had caused the change. But whatever it was, was his undoing. His body trembled and with the sexiest whimper you’d heard him make, he came. Deep. Muscles tightening.

His hips doing little jerks as he released every drop of his seed into your waiting cunt, coating your molten and shivering walls thickly.

And it felt so good.

But it wasn’t enough.

Before he had a chance to recover, you pulled him to you and rolled you both over. You now straddling his waist, his cock so deliciously deep. A snug fit.

That was more like it.

“B-baby, w-wait..” but you couldn’t. Between his broken whimper, his begging, and the burning need in your veins. You were lost. Consumed.

You rolled your hips once, testing the new angle.

You had never been on top before. It felt good. Made you feel powerful. Desired.

He gasped beneath you, moaning, his fingers digging into your hips. Whether to pull you closer or push you away, you weren’t sure. But you didn’t really care. A need, all consuming and hot welled up inside you and you obeyed it. Mindless.

He groaned hoarsely as you began a slow teasing rhythm of rocking your hips, he was overstimulated. But this was long overdue, and you would apologize later.

Maybe.

“B-baby…” he whimpered again, gasping, groaning, fingers digging as his hips thrust upward into you.

Through the foggy haze, you heard his voice and you slow blink, looking down at him.

“Hm?” you croon.

“I’m… I need…” he was panting, breathless.

You brace your hands on his chest, lifting up slowly and rocking back down just as slow. You don’t slow down. You listen as he moans, gasping, struggling to breathe.

The sight, the sound is beyond delicious.

“Come on, baby, tell me. What do you need,” you smirk, enjoying the reverse of your roles.

You could get used to this. But with your shyness always at the forefront. You doubted there would ever be a chance like this again.

You lean down, your lips trailing slowly along his jaw. His throat. You inhaled the scent of his skin as you went, and your lust flared hotter. Burned brighter.

Your teeth caught the lobe of his ear and nipped it, your lips placing a teasing but gentle kiss just below his ear just before whispering, “Tell momma what you need.”

And suddenly he found his strength, pulling from your for a mere second before you found yourself laying on your side, facing the window.

And a full view mounted mirror.

But you hardly notice. Giggling, “Aww, what’s wrong, baby? Did I say something that got you all wet behind the ears?”

There’s a teasing lilt in your tone. You knew what you were doing. And you enjoyed watching him react.

Just as quickly as he had flipped you to your side, he was behind you, gripping your thigh. He lifted it high, his own thigh bent behind your other one flat on the bed. Tracing. Caging. Preparation for more to come.

“Oh, something is wet alright. I wanted to be gentle, princess. To savor this for us both. But it seems… based on your behavior, you don’t want gentle, do you?” his voice takes a dark edge.

And you were sopping wet from it.

He lifts your leg, suspended in the air, you are defenseless. Unable to do anything. Subjected to whatever course of action he wanted to take.

His own hips roll, his cock snapping into you once more.

Crabbing your chin firmly with his hand, his chest pressed to your back, his fingers skittered along your skin. Wrapped gently and firmly over your throat, a possessive touch. Claiming.

Then his lips were on the back of your neck, teasing. Tasting.

“I got something I think we both will enjoy. Look around the room, princess. Let me know if you find it,” he whispers against your skin. A purr. A promise.

“But…” You start.

“Use your eyes, princess. I know you’ve got good eyes. You may have already seen it. And didn’t realize you did,” he hummed, lips still kissing the back of your neck. His hips still plunging deep and slow into your greedy wetness. The sounds mind-numbing, adding to the pleasure.

It was becoming hard to focus again.

“Come on, my pretty bird. Use those beautiful eyes and tell me what you see,” he rasps, voice breathy in your ear.

So with effort, you open your eyes, trying to look around. You gasp and moan as he continues the slow deliberate pace of his hips. Your cunt still squishy and messy, coated with his cum from earlier. Slick. Slippery. Sopping wet.

You look around the room, trying to find what he’s talking about. Then you find it.

The mirror.

How had he managed to find that size? And how had he been able to mount it on the wall? It was large, angled from a direction where anyone from the bed could see their reflection. And at this angle, you could see everything.

Your core clenched tightly in response.

Caleb hissed at the new sensation. “Damn. You’re still so wet and tight.” Then he smirks, “Looks like you found it. Given how you clamped down on me, I guess you like it, hm?”

You groan, head falling back against again, ready to fall apart again. You whine, feeling the familiar pressure of another orgasm mounting impossibly fast.

“Shh. Don't look away, beautiful. Eyes on your reflection,” he hushes gently, he takes his handholding your thigh moves to your hand, grasping it.Then guides your hand to where his had been.

His now free hand loops to the front, snaking around your waist, trailing down between your thighs. His middle finger rubs lazy circles on your swollen clit, voice still soft and low, “Let go, baby. As many times as you need to. I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”

“But what about you?” you ask, voice breathless and raspy.

“If you are ovulating as you say, I probably should’ve put on a condom,” he whispers back, lazy circles on your clit, driving you near to madness.

“I don’t care.” you gasp.

“Baby…” he grits out, “You don’t know…”

“I do and I don’t care. Fuck me. Cum inside me. Breed me. I don’t care. I just need you inside me. All of you. Every drop. However you’ll give it to me.” you gasp, desperate, burning.

He groans, whimpering, “Fuck, princess. Okay, if that’s what you want.”

And his pace changes. Hard. Deep. Unrelenting. His new pace sets fire to your body, and before you realize it, you’re at the edge of another orgasm. Then you’re falling.

You cry out your release. Your body stiffening, trembling. Burning. Stars bursting.

But he doesn’t let up, doesn’t slow down. He keeps going, plundering your quivering and spasming cunt like a man on a mission.

“There you go. That’s my pretty girl. Look at you. Falling apart so good for me. This pretty pussy, so needy isn’t she?” he coos, teeth grazing your neck as he keeps plunging repeatedly in and out of your hot, squelching walls.

His praises spark something else, awaken something else. A pressure. A coil you didn’t recognize mounting your orgasm before the previous climax ended, snapping harshly.

His release catches up with him soon after with a whining, chanting, whimper, “Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Baby…fuuuck.”

And suddenly, you’re falling again. This time with a scream. This time with a gush. A flooding wetness coating your thighs and his. Your body trembles harder than it’s ever has. Your pussy clamps down so tightly, Caleb lets out a choked sob.

With a final thrust, he stills, cumming inside your waiting cunt, plugging your cervix, filling your womb to the brim and then some.

His hips do a few little jerks, giving him time to breathe. Then he slowly pulls out before slamming back inside.

“I hope you got some more left in you. Because you’ve started something and you better see it to the end,” he says, pulling out slowly then snapping forward once more.

New pace now, fast and searching, as he peppers kisses on the back of your shoulder.

“Let’s see how far I can stretch this pretty pussy. And if I can put a baby in you. Don’t go to sleep on me, baby. We’re not done yet. I wanna hear you scream as many times as I make you cum.” His voice dark with promise then it dips to a whisper, “Soar for me, my pretty bird. Sing for me.”

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

Dividen: @cafekitsune Caleb banner: yours truly.

[chiwhorei]

Okay so crazy idea! What if MC was giving them the silent treatment and the LI’s cant take it so they just take her in her sleep. Coz thats the only way they can hear her make sounds/ talk etc since she hasn’t talked to them in a week.

tw: somno, noncon, yan!caleb a bit but that’s cannon bby

✧:･ﾟ( ̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅:♡:̲̅]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅ ) ･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ( ̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅:♡:̲̅]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅ ) ✧:･ﾟ( ̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅:♡:̲̅]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅ ) ･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ

This SCREAMS Caleb to me, especially since he literally drugs MC to keep her locked up in his house during Homecoming Wings and is kissing her hand and shit while she’s passed out.

I think that Caleb has messed around with you in your sleep plenty of times. Staying with him on your trips to Skyhaven when he was in school, when both of you find yourself back home during Uni breaks. You always seem to wake up without panties when Caleb’s around… and aching legs.. and a sensitive pussy… and strange dreams from the night before where he’s begging you to call out his name. But that’s just a coincidence, surely.

So post explosion/present timeline it’s no different. He just misses you so much! He can’t waste any of the precious time he has with you, especially when you’ve decided to act like a brat and ignore him. He’s going to sneak into your room, either at his place or yours, and lick a wet spot into your clothed pussy before sliding your panties off (putting them into his pocket for safekeeping ofc). Then, since he’s a good guy and just loves you soooooo much, he’s going to ease you open on two and then three thick fingers so you’re sleep-stiff body is ready for his cock.

His first few thrusts are shallow and exploratory, trying to see if you’re going to ruin this for him by waking up. But your body seems to relax into his movements, legs opening up wider around his hips and little voice huffing into the dark space around you. You whimper his name so sweetly, he’s sure you wanted this from the very beginning. This is why you were being a brat, this is why you were giving him the silent treatment. So Caleb would snap and fuck his hot load into you. So he’d leave hickies and bruises all over your thighs for you to find in the morning. Why so shy about it, he thinks, he’d take care of you anytime if you’d just ask.

But Caleb doesn’t dwell on the thought for long, because your unconscious body feels so good, so fucking compliant. If you’re still not talking to him in the morning, he might just have to teach you a lesson on using your big girl words.

[monster-effer]

Could I request head canon where the LADS guys find out reader/mc smokes? It’s a bad habit but she’s trying to stop 🙈🙈

Absolutely! Here you go <3

Sylus

You are taking a smoke break on your balcony after a very stressful mission. And Mephisto is doing his daily surveillance of you and your apartment building. When he gets enough footage of your new smoking habit, he reports back to Sylus.

After he’s informed, Sylus gives you a call “You know, smoking is a very unhealthy habit kitten.”

“How do you know that I smoke?”

“A little birdie told me.”

From then on, when you buy a carton of cigarettes they mysteriously go missing from your balcony, living room table and even from your purse?!?

Sylus arranges the periodic delivery of nicotine gum to your apartment for 2 months straight.

He also makes more of an effort to reach out to you. Both you and Sylus have busy schedules, but he always will make room in his schedule for you.

After a few months of these shenanigans you realize that you haven’t smoked in a while. Your craving for cigarettes has diminished to almost nothing. And even when you do feel that urge, you don’t hesitate to call Sylus. Because you know he will always be there for you.

Caleb

After the explosion where you assumed both Caleb and granny passed away you were emotionally in shambles. But you are a hunter now and it is your responsibility to protect the public from wanderers and wrong doers alike. In effort to suppress your emotions you picked up a bad habit, which happened to be smoking. It began with you trying out a cigarette one day, then it evolved into you going through one carton per week.

You don’t think you’ll ever get over losing Caleb and your grandma in one fell swoop. But when he makes his way back into your life you are shook to say the least. You really want to kick your smoking habit mainly because you don’t want Caleb to find out about it. But it has a hold on you now.

Since you’ve been spending time at Caleb’s Skyhaven apartment you tend to leave things behind. One time, you leave behind a lone cigarette which leads to Caleb discovering your new habit.

Caleb does not hesitate to confront you about it “Princess is this really a habit conducive to being a hunter? And…what if something happens to you? I don’t know what I’d do if you developed cancer from this.”

Once you two have a heart to heart about why you started smoking, Caleb starts to take advantage of the amount of leave afforded to him from the from the DAA. He is spending more quality time with you after work and on the weekends to make sure you don’t have to resort to smoking when you’re feeling down.

He purchases out an old gaming system so you two can play co-op games together like you did in your childhood. He cooks you whatever meal you request to keep you happy and well fed.

You start to spend more time at his Skyhaven apartment than your own. One day while you lounge in the living room and Caleb cooks in the kitchen, the sudden realization that you haven’t even thought about smoking in weeks pops into your mind. You don’t know how to thank Caleb for helping you break this habit. But what you do know is from today forward, you no longer need to fill the void in your heart with cigarettes because you have him.

Zayne

He majorly disapproves of your smoking habit. He goes straight into doctor mode and lectures you on the multiple risks that come with smoking including:

Slowed wound healing Cancer risk Increased risks of heart disease and stroke Osteoporosis COPD

He gives you tips on quitting like sucking on hard candy, chewing gum or eating fruit when you feel that urge. He frequently goes on walks with you to reduce your stress because you started smoking due to your heavy work schedule as a hunter.

He helps keep you accountable by checking the ash tray at your home for any evidence of smoking and offering to test you for smoking when you come in for annual doctor visits.

Although his approach may seem strict, your health and wellbeing means the world to him. You are the love of his life and he wants you to be healthy.

Xavier

Since he lives a floor above you he is on his balcony one evening and looks down to see you smoking a cigarette. Xavier is surprised because he’s never noticed this habit of yours.

To confirm that this wasn’t his tired mind playing tricks on him he decides to spy on you some more. Over the next 3 weeks Xavier makes it a habit to peak down towards your balcony. And so far he’s seen witnessed you smoking 3 times a week, at minimum.

He softly brings it up to you as you two laze around on your couch after a session of stuffing your faces together.

“So…when did you become a smoker?”

You feel a bit ashamed because you’ve been trying hard to break this habit. But you won’t lie to him.

“Honestly, I picked up the habit one day after a stressful mission. And I’ve been smoking ever since.”

Xavier tilts his head to the side as he listens to your explanation. “If I can help you relieve stress in a different way, will you give up cigarettes?”

You look towards Xavier in confusion. His beautiful cerulean eyes have darkened like they do when he is feeling lustful. Your breath hitches in your throat at what he’s suggesting.

“Hmm I’m not sure. Why don’t we try it out a few times to see if it helps,” you reply cheekily.

By the time Xavier is done with you, you are worn out and noticeably less stressed. This just may work, and if it doesn’t, you’re going to enjoy trying.

Rafayel

When Rafayel finds out that you smoke cigarettes he is surprised about it. But that surprise morphs into concerns for your health. He broaches the topic by saying “Ms. Bodyguard, how can I expect you to protect me if you start wheezing during cardio because you smoke cigarettes?”

When that teasing remark doesn’t seem to get through to you, he brings out the big guns. He begins to pout and gives you puppy dog eyes. “What would Reddie think?”

After you two talked about why you started smoking and what it does for you, Rafayel makes it his mission to pester you (with love) more than usual.

text: [pic] Here’s a pic of Reddie, he says he hopes you’ve been smoke free today.

“Hey, I was in the neighborhood and I decided to drop off some nicotine gum.”

“Why am I here? You texted me about how stressed you are. So I will be your personal masseuse for the evening.”

text: EMERGENCY, COME ASAP. You arrive at his home just to find out that Rafayel wanted your opinion on his most recent painting and wanted to get seafood together.

You’re enjoying the increased quality time with Rafayel and although it pains you to admit it, it has been helping. You have not had the time nor energy to think of let alone go out to buy cigarettes since you confided in him about your smoking habit. Both him and Reddie are your little family and you wouldn’t change it for the world.

[suguru-getos]

-> caleb x f!reader: all mine <3

summary: colonel caleb comes back home to you after you’ve been on house-arrest, he makes it up to you though. in his own, caleby-way.

warnings: fluff, caleb is a canon yandere so of course there are hints of being crazy. edging, sex (p in v), dirtytalking, comfort and aftercare. caleb is devoted guys!!

author’s note: hellu hellu l&ds fandom 🙇🏻‍♀️ please accept my humble peace offering as i try to make my way in >:3 LET ME INN! :>

the skyhaven fleet returns today after three days of wandering in the deepspace tunnel. you knew that meant their colonel would be returning with them. you’re couped up in caleb’s house; another house arrest against your will, struggling and sighing when you tried your luck for the nth time. the robot caleb made for you only trifles around with your favorite food and drinks.

“an apology would be nice.” you scoffed, you meant from him. but after being caught red-handed on your escape, with wounds on your leg… you knew you couldn’t hold it against caleb for too long. when you were little, if any activity made you get wounded — whether playing, or participating in thar culinary thing you decided you’d try… caleb would ban it. you are so used to him looking over you that some part of you feels conditioned about it. the way caleb’s evol make you feel— restricted, but not so much.

“the skyhaven fleet has landed.” the news stirrs you up. and you watch their plane land. an exasperated gasp leaves you in annoyance. caleb is here… you don’t know if you like his presence right about now, after feeling lonely, or you hate him for doing this to you.

you decide to get into the kitchen, you are craving instant ramen right about now. and so, you take it out and pour water in your ‘pink-coloured’ pan. caleb and his excessive theatrics honestly… you scoffed, letting the water come to a boil before you carefully soak in the dried noodles. just about then, the door knob clicks and opens. astoundingly tall, rougishly handsome, and excessively intimidating looking— colonel of the skyhaven fleet.

you scoffed, rolling your eyes. focus. you chide yourself, eyes darting back to the noodles. “hey now- that’s not how you welcome me ever?” caleb seems normal, chirpy as usual. you don’t know what to believe at this point. “you’re not welcome, caleb.” you scoffed, feeling his footsteps near you and stand in front of the kitchen counter, eyes darting down at the bubbling, simmering noodles.

“that’s not healthy-“

your eyes dart at caleb in an, ‘i dare you to say more’ stance. jaw clenched.

“that’s. not healthy. pipsqueak.” caleb doesn’t relent again, walking towards the refrigerator with no qualms in offending you when it came to your well being. he opens the fridge and adds two eggs on a pan. “protein.”

then takes out the chicken salami slices, placing them in the same pan. you sigh in defeat. “caleb— i don’t like it here.” you brace yourself for his response. “aw- you just missed me baby.” he hums, walking closer to you, hand raising to headpat you. you look to the side, shoulders slumped. a pang of hesitation gnaws at his cheat, and he just pats your shoulder. “you would get used to it, i promise. and i will let the other squadrons under me run deepspace missions, hm? sounds okay? i can be that old caleb that spent time with you in your room just because.”

there is a hint of yearning behind his eyes, a sick devotion that makes you uncomfortable. so you try to excuse yourself, somehow your rage has melted pathetically now that caleb is here, safe and sound.

you’re stopped by his evol, like a wall in front of you, reminding you not to turn your back on him. “WHAT!”

you turn around, tears prickling in your eyes, “why’re you doing this to me? i don’t want to be in the same FUCKING ROOM AS YOU CALE—”

with one swift motion, caleb picks you up, placing you on the counter, him nudged between your legs. “ssshhh~ its okay, don’t get agitated pipsqueak. i don’t want your resting heart rate to be bad cus’ of me.” he coos, always gentle— always suffocatingly gentle— taking his colonel hat out and making you wear it. it smells warm, like him, warm and musky, with a hint of woody undertones… the same warmth that feels scorching right now.

you look up at him, into his eyes, “don’t do this.” your plea falls into deaf ears as he leans in, even further in when you try to lean back. its when his lips brush against you, your hands pressed against the crisp & well-ironed clothing of his to push him back- falling and surrendering when you realize you can’t.

just like your childhood, this is just one of those times that caleb gets what he wants…

“that’s it, pretty girl. just like that—“ he praises when you let go, the pad of his thumb caressing your lower lip. “there’s nothing i wouldn’t do for you. remember that.”

you just gawk at him, dumbfounded. chest heaving at the loss of air. you reflexively smack him right across his cheek. your nimble fingers imprinting on his pale skin as the force tilts his face to the side. the sudden warmth on his cheek makes him palm it, adjusting his jaw.

“ow.” he says, unimpressed.

your brows crease, the push and pull of your relationship with caleb is exhausting. you cup his face the very next moment. leaning in… balming him with a kiss on the cheek. “that was for locking me in.” you pout, the same pout that would make him work the ends of the world for you.

“you can hit me as many times as you want, use me as your punching bag, baby. but you are not going out of my sight again.” his words are spoken with such delirious conviction they make you anxious. “i’ll create a safe space for you, something you don’t want to go away from. i promise.” he nods, fingers turning the knob of the now cooked food.

“eat well, i’ll get changed.” he kissed your forehead, pecking your lips and walking away. you stare at your feet the entire time… caleb is not someone who strays away from what he wants. you need to figure something out.

you settle in with your ramen and the sides caleb prepared, eating with a happy sigh. the food is good. and all this tension with him had made you a little peckish. “hey.” he comes out, wearing just a towel, another one helping him to dry his air.

“hey—“ you hummned, sighing softly. “wanna taste? this is good.” you smile softly, distracting. you know exactly what he’s doing .

“oh? am i being forgiven?” he smiles, leaning over with his usual, rougish charm on his face as he takes a bite. “not a chance, caleb.” you roll your eyes, “i still- am mad at you.” you wanted to say i still hate you— in the shallow sense, but you know how badly caleb would take it.

“let me make it up to you, all this pent up frustration of being inside has made my baby irritated and fussy.” his finger trails along your thigh. you hate how his touch feels so good. you hate how he knows exactly what you like, you hate how much he loves you.

you gaze up at him, swallowing your last bite thickly. that’s all is needed by caleb. that’s all he needs as cue. his hands feverishly grab you close, carrying you to his bedroom princess style. “she just missed me is all.” he hums to himself, peppering soft and needy kisses all over your face and neck. your hands touch his bare back, the skin-to-skin contact riling you up more than you’d want. you know what’s going to happen. caleb will fuck your brains out and you will not be able to walk or complain because you fucking like it.

you shudder softly when he takes the liberty to peel off your clothing, revealing you braless. “no one wears bras in the house.” you scoffed, rolling your eyes when his all-knowing smirk builds up. “oh i know pipsqueak, how much you hate bras.”

he leans in, nuzzling between the valley of your breasts, rolling your hardening nubs between his thumb and index finger, pinching them, tugging at them. “went to your first bra shopping with you. it was that red lace one you liked best. made me jealous that you get to see yourself like that everyday..” he hums, peppering soft kisses all over you like your devoted lover.

you gasp out at his touches, cunt clamping at his words & his ever so sharp memory. his hands trail down to the waistband of your panties, fingers caressing your warm pussy. “oh— dripping.” he croons, nibbling at your nipple. “all i have to do is play with my doll the right way and she will welcome me with open arms~ or rather, an open cunt.” caleb missed you, perhaps even more than you missed him. he wastes no time in thrusting two fingers inside you, your back arching off the back at the stretch. “gah- shit-“

his evol pins you down again. “ah ah- take it like a good girl. i’m making up to you baby.” he smiles, sliding and peeling off your panties and gawking at your cunt, the pretty pink of your walls stretched by his thick fingers, the way your clit twitches at the lack of attention. “mine.” he purrs, leaning in and caressing your g-spot. the actions have you seeing stars so soon, so fast.

a strangled cry escapes from your throat, when you start to get riled up, climbing to the edge of your orgasm with every administration from caleb. the way your gummy walls flutter around him for more, aching for more. but caleb is relentless.

“caleb— please—“ you shudder, struggling at the feeling of him. “please please—“

the pleas, the ragged breaths, everything— feels like music to his ears, oh he could get off just from this alone. the cock sprawling free from his towel seconds ago. angry & drooling. caleb is thick & girthy, veins flowing across his shaft and you know you struggle to take him every single time, and every single time caleb tells you that you can. you just need to tough it out.

“beg properly.” the expression on his face changes back to a stern one. his fingers don’t stop. “tell me to touch your pretty clit, tell me only i make you feel good.” his demand is simple: tell him that only he can grant you the pleasure you seek. tell him that he is the answer to everything.

“caleb— please- touch my clit, you make me feel good.” your brain is foggy at the impending pleasure. you are so malleable right now. you could do anything, be anything for him. his compliant little doll.

“see? you just needed to ask me the right way sweetheart.” he hums, thumb rubbing slow, rhythmic circles onto your bundle of nerves. the new sensation has you tweaking, your legs itching to press close at the raw assault, but his evol is cruel.

“hah- nngh-“ you moan out, tears prickling. you feel yourself close to the edge, you feel the orgasm tearing you apart. “cum.” caleb says like another order you have to follow, and your body complies like he has the remote control. squirming & shaking at the pleasure. the pace of his fingers only gets faster, the movements on his clit slowing down so you could feel the waves of the orgasm reach every single cell. his other hand lands on your pelvis, feeling your muscles contract as the orgasm shakes you up inside out.

“oh good girl. what a good little girl. letting me do whatever i want to her pretty body.” he croons, leaning in and slurping off all the essence that you could offer him. the way his tongue cleans you up has you etching the trails of overstimulation. your hands haphazardly gripping at his hair, trying to push him away. “hah- too much.”

caleb nips at your swollen clit as warning. “don’t tell me what’s too much for you and what’s not, pipsqueak. i know you better than you know yourself.” its like he’s training your body, and your mind… imparting things you have no choice but to believe him with the proof of your body slaving for him.

he spreads your legs up, holding your ankles together in one hand. “not going easy on you.” he kisses your ankle, caressing the skin. “you need to know how much you feel when you’re with me.” and just like that, his girthy cock pierces itself in your folds, your pressed thighs adding the additional friction. caleb grunts, smirking. its like a challenge.

you moan out loud, gripping the headboard and the bedsheets in a feeble attempt to catch your fleeting sanity. malleable. caleb knows how to make you malleable.

“oh like a mould.” he chuckles, his pupils blown out completely at the tightness of your pussy. “looks like your little hole forgot my shape and now i have to pump her back to my shape~ tame her to know she only has me. just like you.” his thrusts are punishing, every single one if them making his balls slap against your ass, torturously intense. you’re seeing stars, mouth parted agape… the pain drilling a lesson into your heart, the pleasure sealing the lesson.

“you belong to me.” caleb repeats the said lesson against the shell of your ear, “understand?”

you nod like a bobblehead. “yeah-! gah- belong- mmm~” words are failing you. and caleb has you right where he wants.

your walls flutter around his cock soon enough, clamping over & over. milking him just the way he wants. “wanna cum again babygirl?” caleb pouts softly at your pathetic nods, taking his cock out.

the loss of contact has you tearing up instantly, a whine parting from your lips when the cherished feeling of being so full of him is gone. “oh i know sweetheart.” caleb feigns sympathy. “not sure if you deserve to be bred by me… since you want to leave me and all.” asshole. caleb is a fucking asshole.

“i hate you.” you say such powerful words with such a feeble whimper its alluring to him.

“tell me you hate me enough to stay for a hundred years with me.” caleb grips your face, watching your puckered lips. “tell me you hate me enough to love me through whoever i become—“ caleb’s tip teases through your folds again, and you can’t help but sob. “i love you caleb— gonna- be there- till you’re- you’re okay- and not anxious about me-“ you sniffle, and his expression instantly changes.

“that’s it, it’s okay. m’ not caging you little one. i hate caging you. we live in a world that is undeserving of you.” he nuzzles his nose. “i love you so much, ssshh~ stop crying, it’s okay, i’ll give you what you want. mmm?” he croons, whispers softly, kissing your tears away and letting him find his way back to your needy hole.

“daddy loves you like its breathing.” he kisses you softly, “tell me you know it~” his thrusts begin again, missionary this time so you can see the sincerity on his face clearly.

“daddy- hnn~ loves me like its breathing.” your back arches again, his relentless evol letting you go as you tip off the edge, the orgasm making your walls milk every last shred of his seed, “oh that’s it, so perfect-“ his breath hitches, a few more sloppy thrusts until he stops, leaning against the crook of your neck.

you pant heavily, breathing bated and needy as ever. “caleb-“ you hummed, murmuring softly. “i don’t want to be in skyhaven anymore.” your voice sounds like something he couldn’t possibly ignore…

“then lets go on a vacation back to linkon, i will take a leave; a holiday where it’s just the two of us.” he smiles, kissing your forehead. “you did so well for me baby, like always.” caleb takes pride in taking your virginity, as much as you hate him, he’s been there with you when you both were six years old.

“let go, i’ll take care of you now.” his words sound like a fleeting announcement, your eyelids drooping down. you’re relaxed right now, and maybe when you would be up tomorrow with caleb preparing your favorite breakfast, you’d try to see past his irratic possessiveness & dangerous territorialness…

yeah, tomorrow…

[kissandtellus]

ᴍɪʟᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ᴄʟᴜʙ

Synopsis: Caleb takes MC on one of his flights. MC gets a bit too excited about flying such a powerful plane, and Caleb reminds her exactly why he’s Colonel of the Farspace Fleet

Warnings: Smut, plane smex, I don’t know about flying whatsoever so forgive me, grinding, Caleb and MC become part of the Mile High Club.

The views from 30,000ft in the air over Skyhaven was amazing. Y/n had her face nearly glued to the window like a child seeing Christmas lights for the first time. Caleb chuckled, flipping up the mic on his headset.

She was adorable, straining to see out of the window due to the strap across her lap and chest. “This is amazing Caleb. I’m so jealous, you get this view every day.”

Little did she know, Caleb was looking at the best view right now. The way her hair fell infront of her flushed cheeks, her little laugh when they hit the tiniest bit of turbulence.

As Y/n watched the views below, Caleb's hands moved with a practiced ease over the controls. His purple eyes scanned the instruments with a focus that was both intense and strangely calming. The hum of the engine and the gentle vibration of the plane seemed to fade into the background as Y/n found herself captivated by his every movement.

"It's not just the views," he replied, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask. "It's the freedom, the power. Knowing that you're high above everything, untouchable." He paused, glancing at you again. "Though, having someone to share it with isn't so bad either."

Reaching over, he gently took Y/n’s hand and placed it on the yoke, his own palm covering hers. "Hold it," he instructed, his voice low and gentle. "Feel the power, the control."

As Y/n held the yoke, he guided her hand smoothly, performing a gentle turn. The plane responded graceously to her touch under his guidance. "See that? You're flying," he murmured, his breath warm against your mask. Suddenly, he released his hand, leaving her alone with the controls.

"You're a natural," he teased lightly, his voice playful. "Almost as good as me." He winked, the gesture barely visible behind his mask but unmistakable in his violet eyes.

Y/n squealed at the pure power she felt under her hand. This was loads more fun than fighting Wanderers left and right.

His laughter echoed through the cockpit, muffled by his mask but unmistakable in his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Careful, now," he warned, his hand hovering near the controls but not intervening. "Don't get too confident and crash my plane."

Y/n murmured a complaint under her breath. But then she looked back up at Caleb with pleading eyes. “Can I sit in the Pilot seat? This might be the only time I ever get to.”

Caleb chuckled, the sound muffled beneath the Oxygen mask. “How about you sit here instead.” He gently unbuckled their belts and quickly maneuvered her into his lap.

His arms wrapped around her, one hand resting on the yoke to keep the plane steady while the other snaked around her waist. "Comfortable?"

Odette felt so free behind such a powerful plane.

"You look like you belong here," he murmured, his voice a low rumble against her ear as he adjusted the plane's heading with subtle movements of the yoke. The view outside stretched infinitely, an endless expanse of blue skies and cotton-like clouds, but Caleb's focus remained solely on the girl in his lap.

But her excited movements in his lap, made his flight jumpsuit grow uncomfortable quickly.

His hold around her waist tightened unconsciously, pulling her closer as he tried to suppress the distraction. His knuckles brushed against her midsection as he adjusted the controls, his mind wandering briefly to how easily he could unzip his flight suit... Caleb shook his head, trying to focus on flying.

A sudden jump in turbulence had Y/n bouncing in his lap with an excited squeal.

Caleb swore under his breath, his grip tightening reflexively around Y/n as he fought to steady the aircraft. "Easy girl," he muttered, not sure if he was talking to the plane or the pretty girl in his lap.

As the turbulence eased, Caleb's heart rate slowly returned to normal. But his other…problem, hadn't eased. In fact, Y/n’s excited bouncing had only made things worse. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to discreetly adjust himself without his Pipsqueak noticing. "We're clear now.”

Y/n looked over her shoulder at Caleb, her oxygen mask wheezing as she panted from excitement mixed with anxiety. “Am I doing good Caleb?”

"The plane's never been better," he replied with a strained humor, his eyes meeting Y/n’s through the oxygen masks. The sound of her panting was doing things to him that had nothing to do with being thousands of feet up in the air. "Though you might want to... settle down a bit.”

Y/n cocked her head in confusion. “Oh? Is something wrong with the plane?” And that’s when she felt it, the strain in his jumpsuit pressing against her ass like it wanted to rip free.

She gasped in realization, stuttering over her words. “I-I’m so sorry Caleb! I had no Idea. I’ll-“

"Don't," he cut her off, his voice a soft command. "Just... stop squirming for a minute," he added with a rough chuckle that held more desire than humor. "It's hard enough to maintain control up here..."

She took a large gulp but a wicked, dark idea sprung to her mind. “Are you…part of the Mile High Club?”

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her innocent yet knowing eyes through the oxygen masks. The term "Mile High Club" had never sounded more seductive. His hand tightened possessively on her thigh. "What makes you ask that?" His voice was husky, dangerous.

Y/n deep down knew Caleb had only ever had eyes for her. “You seem…stressed, for a pilot. Maybe I can help?”

His patience snapped. He reached up and roughly pulled off his oxygen mask, letting it hang around his neck. His other hand released her thigh to grab her face, knocking off her mask and pulling Y/n into a rough, desperate kiss. The plane could crash for all he cared in that moment - he needed you more than he needed air.

The kiss was fierce and hungry, his tongue demanding entry into Y/n’s mouth. He pulled her tighter against him, letting her feel the full extent of his arousal. When he finally broke away, it was only to whisper harshly against her lips, "Is this what you meant by helping?"

Y/! giggles as Caleb fitted the oxygen mask back around her face. “Not exactly.” She reached down to press the palm of her hand against his straining cock.

He groaned loudly against her mask, the sound muffled but no less intense. His hips thrust upward involuntarily, seeking more pressure. "Y/n," he hissed, his hands gripping the yoke tightly as he fought to maintain control of the plane and his own body. "Behave."

"You're supposed to be making this easier, not fuckin’ harder," he ground out, the pun completely intentional as he tried to focus on keeping the plane steady. His hand covered hers, pressing it more firmly against his erection. "One of us needs to be responsible here..."

Caleb laughed breathlessly, the sound turning into a hiss as she finally managed to free him from his jumpsuit. "A training exercise," he repeated, his mind racing with the absurdity of the situation as he helped her wriggle out of your jumpsuit enough to give him access.

Caleb didn't need any further encouragement. One hand returned to the yoke, guiding the plane on autopilot, while the other reached down to push her hand away and wrap around his own throbbing length.

Y/n was a little impatient, leaning back against the yoke just enough to watch the head of his cock rub up and down her soaked slit.

Caleb bit his lip, trying to focus on the flight path on the instrument panel rather than the tempting sight before him. "Fucking hell, Y/n..." he groaned.

The oxygen masks on their faces were doing little to stop their panting, both so eager to unite their bodies.

Caleb’s control snapped as she wiggled again, trying to catch his tip inside of her gummy walls. "Damn it," he muttered, lifting her slightly without warning. He used his thigh muscles to spread her legs wider, positioning himself at Y/n’a entrance. "No foreplay. No time," he grunted.

With one swift, desperate thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. The plane jerked slightly as he lost focus for a moment, his hips moving instinctively to start a brutal pace. The oxygen masks fogged up instantly with their heavy breathing, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the cockpit.

A half-laugh, half-moan escaped him as he continued thrusting deeper and harder. "Only you could find time for jokes while I'm literally fucking you at thirty thousand feet," he groaned out.

Just then, the crackle of the radio had Caleb going stiff (no pun intended) in his pretty girl.

"LaD 42, this is Air Traffic Control. Do you copy?" The radio crackled again, the voice of the air traffic controller breaking the intense moment between the two.

Caleb froze, his cock buried deep inside Y/n as he reached for the radio with one hand. "Shit…”

"LaD 42, come in. Over." The air traffic controller's voice was calm and professional, completely oblivious to the situation unfolding in the cockpit of LaD 42.

Caleb cleared his throat, trying to sound normal despite being balls deep in Y/n. "Copy that, ATC."

"LaD 42, maintain current altitude and heading. Expecting some turbulence in your vicinity, over." Caleb swallowed hard, his hips twitching involuntarily as he fought the urge to keep moving.

He glanced at Y/n, his eyes wide and amused behind the fogged mask.

"F-fuck," he hissed, the radio nearly slipping from his hand as she bounced on his lap. He gripped her hips tightly, trying to hold her still as he responded to the air traffic controller. "R-roger that, ATC. We'll maintain our current heading and altitude."

"You little brat," he muttered, pulling back slightly to look at Y/n’s pouting lip. "God forbid you sit on my dick for five minutes without complaining."

He spanked her ass sharply, making you yelp. "You know what I do to pilots who complain about being uncomfortable?"

"I fuck them harder until they shut the hell up," he growled, slamming into her with renewed vigor. The plane's cockpit was filled with the sound of feminine whimpers and his harsh grunts. "Now stop your whining and take this cock like a good little co-pilot."

Y/n moaned, throwing her head back. “Y-yes sir!”

“Mhm, that's right," he praised darkly, gripping her hair that peak beneath her Oxygen mask and pulling her head back.

“Take that big, thick colonel's dick like a good little officer." He began to pound into her mercilessly, the control panel shaking with each powerful thrust.

"Control, we're... almost through these... severe... conditions," he gasped between thrusts, sweat beading down his chest. His grip on the radio made Y/n afraid to might shatter in his hand. His free hand gripped her throat possessively as he fucked her harder. "About... two minutes left..."

"Roger that, LaD 42," the controller responded. "You handling it okay up there, Colonel?" He asked concerned, picking up on Caleb's strained voice. "You sound... breathless." If only he knew Caleb was currently breeding his hot little copilot like there was no tomorrow.

"I'm... handling it," Caleb gritted out, his fingers digging into Y/n’s throat. "Just... some heavy... turbulence." He slammed into her, making her cry out. "But I'm... maintaining control." His other hand left her hair, moving to squeeze one of her heaving breasts roughly.

“M-mayday! Mayday! LaD 42 experiencing extreme turbulence during descent!" Caleb suddenly shouted into the radio, his voice laced with fake panic. He slammed into her one last time, his cock throbbing as he emptied himself deep inside her tightening pussy.

Caleb gasped, completing the mayday call with a shudder as he pumped the last of his cum into Y/n’s convulsing pussy. He kept her firmly seated on his cock, making sure every drop was buried deep inside her quivering walls.

“C-Caleb!” She whined out, her walls milking his cock as he collapsed against him. Caleb chuckled with a heaving chest. The Air Control representative was frantically calling out to him on the radio. Y/n hiccuped through the after shocks of her orgasm as she glanced up at Caleb, her mask nearly fogged up completely.

Y/n glared up at Caleb. “You called Mayday when you came..”

Caleb laughed softly, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked down at her pouting face. "Well, it felt like a fuckin’ emergency at the time," he teased, squeezing her ass again. "And I needed to sell it, didn't I?"

[beautifulplaceofyouth]

SHUT UP AND JUST KISS ME

Synopsis : Based on the main story cutscene in Skyhaven of Caleb getting mad at you as you get injured after sneaking out of the house and get attacked by wanderers so he treats your wound, talking about him getting a collar for you(which clearly doesn't happen). The argument ends with him leaving but you beg him to stay. (3.5k) Pairing : Yandere!Caleb x Reader Genre : Angst! Childhood friends to lovers! Au? Warnings : 17+ Angsty argument, a slight smut, Caleb’s protection basically means locking you up and destroying everything else, heated conversation with lot of angry outbursts, gravity evol usage for surrender, somewhat happy but hate ending? with hot makeout session against the wall (marking his territory with his teeth) and Caleb's protectiveness & possessiveness ends with his fingers inside you as a punishment (non-concessional at first) female!receiving. At the end of the day, you're his good girl. a/n : a little something so I don’t starve. I’m obsessed with him, clearly.

The audacity. The infuriating, galling, breathtaking audacity of the man.

I sat there, perched on what I’m sure was a ridiculously expensive bed in his ridiculous apartment, a monument to wealth so obscene it made my teeth ache, and simmered.

The clouds themselves seemed to mock me, pressed against the panoramic windows like a taunt. He'd flown me here in his private aircraft, his black Colonel uniform starched and pristine, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

As if I hadn't nearly been ripped to shreds by some genetic monstrosity. As if he hadn't dragged me here, bridal-style, like some… prize.

And then, the nerve. "Sit first. We need to treat your wound." An order, barked out with the same clipped authority he probably used to command troops.

"Are you ordering me right now as a Colonel, or are you worried about me as Caleb?" I snapped, the question laced with venom.

He actually knelt. Knelt in front of me, on what I assumed was a silk rug, and took my knee in his hand. His hand. The possessive, forceful grip that sent a shiver down my spine, a shiver that had absolutely nothing to do with pleasure and everything to do with rage.

I tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold, his purple eyes burning into mine.

And then came the story. A story about a stray cat. A goddamn stray cat.

"When I was a kid, there was a stray cat in our backyard, and he was injured." He launched into the tale, his voice low, a deliberate attempt to soothe, I supposed.

"That cat always tried to run away when I wanted to tend him for its injuries and always came back to the backyard when no one was paying attention to him. That way he couldn't fully recover." he continued, his gaze fixed on my knee, his fingers already probing gently, assessing the damage beneath the torn fabric of my trousers.

I watched him, a knot of apprehension tightening in my chest. Where was this going? What strange analogy was he trying to draw between me and a stray cat?

"What's that got to do with this? If you're comparing me to a stray cat, I don't want to listen to this." I yanked my leg again, harder this time.

He had no right. No right to manipulate me with his childhood stories, no right to compare me to a mangy, unwanted animal.

But he wouldn't let go. A force, a damnable, infuriating force of will radiated from him, pinning me in place. His fucking gravity evol.

His glare intensified, a silent warning that brooked no argument. Pulling my leg firmly back towards him, he locked eyes with me, his gaze intense, probing. “Do you know what I did in response?” he asked, the question hanging heavy in the air, pregnant with unspoken implications.

He reached for a bag, a medical kit, and his movements were precise, controlled, infuriatingly competent. He produced a cotton pad, doused it in some antiseptic cream, and began to dab at the wound on my knee. His touch was surprisingly gentle, almost tender, considering the controlling undercurrent of his words and actions.

"I got a collar with a bell. I put it on the cat. That way, it couldn't escape me without being noisy." He glanced up, his eyes meeting mine, and I saw a flash of something that might have been guilt, but was probably just smug satisfaction.

He continued dabbing, ignoring my simmering rage. Removing the used cotton pad, he dropped it into a small metal tray on the floor with a soft clink.

His hand, warm and firm, wrapped around the inside of my knee, the casual possessiveness of the touch sending a tremor through me. “If I had that collar right now…” he murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper, the words laced with a dangerous undercurrent of implication.

His eyes dropped to his hand, tracing the curve of my knee, the slow, deliberate movement sending shivers of awareness along my leg. His touch shifted, sliding downward, his fingers brushing lightly against my skin, each contact sending a fresh wave of tremors through me.

He descended further, his hand reaching my ankle, his grip tightening, possessive. “I should make you wear it, right?” he finally asked, his gaze lifting to meet mine, the question less a query and more a statement of intent.

The air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with unspoken desires and power struggles.

I felt the tremor in my own leg, a physical manifestation of my inner turmoil. This wasn't kindness. This was a statement.

"Is this how you protect people? By gluing them to your side like pets?" The words were bitter, laced with disappointment. I balled my hand into a fist in my lap, trying to contain the rising tide of anger.

He noticed, of course. He always noticed.

He took my hand in his, his grip warm, strong, trapping me. "I know it's unfair. But…"

He reached into the bag again and produced a metal bracelet. A bracelet? Was he actually serious? He gently fastened it around my wrist, and a hologram sprang to life, displaying my health status: 'Infection risk'.

"Because of that monster, your wound got infected. Is there a way for you to run around without getting injured?" His voice was firmer now, laced with an edge of steel.

He held my hand between us, a tangible symbol of his control.

I tried to twist my hand free, but his grip was unyielding. "Why are you treating me like a stranger? I thought protecting me meant standing by my side to face danger together, not ordering me around like this."

Finally, I managed to wrench my hand away. He simply stared at me, his expression unreadable.

In a way, she was right.

He was being controlling. He was trying to dictate her actions, to limit her freedom. But was it selfish to want to protect her? To want to shield her from harm? To make sure no one hurt her like that again?

"I've had enough of your 'protection'. At least not like this." I looked down at my lap, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

He remained kneeling, his fists clenched against his propped knee. I could practically see the internal battle raging within him. He took deep breaths, fighting to keep his temper in check.

It was hard to see him like this, struggling to contain his rage. He wanted me to rely on him, only him. To trust him implicitly.

I watched him, trying to compose himself with a shake of his head and a sad scoff,” If being with me only brings you pain…then put up it with it more three days. Now, it’s not safe to run around.” The words were cold, almost to the point of rage. Standing up, he moved away from me.

"Where are you going?" The question escaped me before I could stop it. A sliver of hope, a foolish, desperate hope that he wouldn't leave, flickered within me.

He stopped, his back to me. "To tie up loose ends. And then…just try to endure it three more days 'til you can go back to Linkon."

Each word was a hammer blow, shattering the nascent hope within me. He was leaving. He was actually leaving me here.

With that cold dismissal, he started walking again, the heavy tread of his boots a death knell to my fragile composure. Away from me. The thought was a physical pain, a twisting knot in my stomach. I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn’t.

"Don't you dare," I whispered, the words a frigid breath on the air.

They were barely audible, a plea masked as a threat. But he heard me. He always heard me. The sudden, sharp halt of his footsteps was the confirmation I desperately craved.

He was listening.

I continued, the words gaining strength, fueled by a rising tide of panic and defiance. "Don't you dare walk away from me right now."

He remained silent, a statue carved from granite. But the tension radiating from him was palpable, a silent storm brewing beneath the surface.

Rising shakily from the bed, a sharp stab of pain shooting through my knee, I limped towards him. Each step was an act of rebellion, a refusal to be discarded.

His back remained stubbornly presented to me, a barricade I was determined to breach.

When I finally reached him, I stopped just inches away, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. He looked down at me, his face shadowed by the brim of his hat, the uniform casting him in an unfamiliar light.

The crisp lines and severe angles of the military garb seemed to amplify the distance between us, reinforcing his authority, his control.

But beneath the mask of duty, I saw the familiar flicker of torment in his eyes, the tight line of his lips, the furrowed brow. He was still pissed off. At me, at himself, at the world. It was something.

"Step aside. You're still hurt," he said, his voice devoid of warmth, a curt order barked from a superior officer.

I shook my head, a small, defiant gesture that felt monumental. I was done playing his games, done being a pawn in his twisted protection racket.

Stepping closer, I closed the remaining space between us. His jaw clenched, the muscle ticking furiously, as I placed my palm against his chest, feeling the rapid, frantic thud of his heartbeat beneath my fingertips. It was a fragile connection, a desperate attempt to anchor him to me.

"I don't want to argue with you right now, pipsqueak, so don't let me use my evol to make you stay put," Caleb gritted out, leaning down, his face a menacing mask.

He was trying to intimidate me, to scare me back into submission. But I stood my ground, refusing to flinch as his face drew closer, his breath hot against my skin. I knew him too well. It was a bluff, a desperate attempt to maintain control.

"You'll just lock me up again? Is that your solution to everything? Your way of controlling me?" The accusation hung in the air between us, heavy with resentment and disappointment.

"If I have to," he murmured, the words laced with a reluctant admission.

"What's the reason, Caleb? Why would you protect me like that? Do you want me to hate you? Where is my Caleb in this uniform, in this charade?” The question was a raw, aching plea for the man I knew, the man who had somehow gotten lost beneath the layers of duty and responsibility.

Caleb didn't answer with words. He stepped even closer, crowding my space, forcing me to retreat. He advanced on me, relentless and unforgiving, until my back met the cold, unforgiving surface of the wall. He pinned me against it, trapping me, his presence a suffocating weight.

He fisted his mechanical hand, the cold metal a brutal contrast against the warmth of his skin beneath the glove, and softly slammed it against the wall beside my head, the force of the impact reverberating through me. He had caged me, both physically and emotionally.

"Your Caleb has always been here. He never changed," he said, his voice low and intense, the words vibrating against my skin. "And hate me if you must, I'm doing this to protect you. Is that really so selfish of me?"

"Yes," I whispered, the word a choked sob. It was selfish. It was suffocating. It was tearing us apart.

He stared down at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then he laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that echoed in the confined space.

"Then I guess you'll be very happy when I disappear from your life. That way, you won't have to see me again." He began to pull back, the movement a gesture of finality, a silent severing of ties.

A sudden burst of emotion flooded through me, a torrent of fear, anger, and a desperate, terrifying longing. I couldn't let him go. I wouldn't.

Reaching out with a desperate surge of strength, I grabbed his tie, the silk rough against my fingers, and yanked him back. His towering frame bent down to my level, the sudden movement throwing him off balance. Our breaths mingled, hot and ragged, the air thick with unspoken desires and unspoken fears.

"Don't you dare leave me," I threatened, the words a desperate hiss. "I'll lock you up myself."

Caleb was momentarily speechless, the surprise evident in his widened eyes. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he reached for my nape, his gloved hand wrapping around the back of my neck, the pressure both possessive and threatening.

He brought my lips towards his in a snarl, his eyes burning into mine.

"Didn't you say you hate me? You don't want me protecting you?" The question was a challenge, a dare, a desperate plea for me to push him away.

The air crackled with tension, a volatile mix of anger, desire, and fear. But only one thought consumed me, a thought that was terrible and wrong, a thought that threatened to unravel everything. But I couldn't stop it.

"Shut up and just kiss me."

The command was a surrender, a desperate plea for connection, a reckless abandonment of all pretense.

The surprise flashed across his face, a fleeting flicker before it was swallowed by something far more intense. He didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his hand tangling in my hair, pulling my head back. His mouth crashed down on mine, a savage, desperate claiming.

This wasn't a gentle embrace, a tender expression of affection. This was anger, jealousy, a primal need to possess. It was a kiss born of frustration and desperation, a need that burned like a wildfire, consuming everything in its path. I tasted the salt of barely restrained tears on his lips, the metallic tang of blood from where he'd bitten his own tongue.

He kissed me with a ferocity that both terrified and exhilarated me. It was the same possessiveness that had always simmered beneath the surface, a protectiveness so fierce it bordered on madness.

He pulled back slightly, his breath hot against my skin. "You told me you didn't need me," he growled, his voice a ragged rasp. Then his mouth was on mine again, silencing any protest.

This time, the kiss was deeper, more demanding. He forced my lips apart, his tongue plunging inside, staking his claim. I met his aggression with a matching fervor, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"But you want me, don't you?" he muttered against my lips, his voice thick with triumph and a hint of something wounded. "You want me this much."

He was right. And I was a liar. A pathetic, desperate liar. I wanted him more than I wanted air, more than I wanted my next breath. The admission choked me, a bitter pill I couldn't swallow.

"Don't," I whispered, the word barely audible.

He tore his mouth from mine, his eyes blazing as he stared down at me. "You drive me insane," he confessed, the words raw and unfiltered. "Since we were kids, you've been under my skin. Every thought, every breath… it's always been you."

He kissed me again, harder this time, conveying all of his emotions with each heated touch.

"And after those…those monsters dared to touch you…" He shuddered against me, holding me tighter, his voice cracking with barely suppressed rage. "I thought I was going to lose my mind. I wanted to tear the world apart."

He kissed me again, a desperate, pleading kiss.

"I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt," Caleb said, his voice laced with a vulnerability that both warmed and unsettled me. "And I hate that you deny me a chance to protect you. You are always pushing me away, even though I would do anything for you. You are too stubborn to see it."

“Caleb, I…”

“There will always be someone after your power. They all should just disappear,” his voice was cold as he cut me off.

His grip tightened, his knuckles white against my skin. He kissed me then with a possessiveness that bordered on desperation, and I drowned in it, meeting his passion with my own.

"I can take care of myself," I told him, even though my voice shook slightly," "It's my job, Caleb. I'm a hunter. This is what I do. I can't just hide away, letting others fight my battles."

He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that echoed in the night. "You think you can? You nearly died out there tonight. If I hadn't come along..." His voice trailed off, and he shuddered again.

"But you did come," I said softly, reaching up to touch his face. "And I'm okay. I'm here, with you."

His eyes softened slightly, but the tension remained, a silent battle raging between his need to protect me and my need to be independent. "That's not enough," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I want you safe, always. I want you where I can see you, where I can keep you from harm. Skyhaven is not safe for you."

"And what about what I want, Caleb?" I challenged, pulling away slightly, the familiar frustration rising to the surface. "I can't just sit on the sidelines, waiting for you to rescue me. That's not who I am."

"I will protect you, whether you want me to or not, and if you still don't listen to me," his voice dropped, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone, "I will make you listen."

"What do you-"

He silenced my protests with another kiss, a kiss that was both a punishment and a promise. It was a brutal, demanding kiss, his lips crushing mine, his teeth scraping against my skin. He tasted of fear and desperation, of the wild, untamed desire that burned within him. As he kissed me, his fingers traced the curve of my hip, dipping beneath the waistband of my pants.

My breath hitched in my throat. The kiss stole my ability to think, to reason, to resist. My body responded to him instinctively, arching against him, craving his touch. I knew this was wrong, that he was trying to manipulate me, to force me into submission. But a traitorous part of me reveled in his power, in the intensity of his desire.

He pulled away slightly, his eyes dark and possessive. "I don't want to do this," he rasped, his voice thick with lust. "But you're not leaving me any choice."

Panic flared within me, a cold wave washing over the heat of desire. "Caleb, stop," I managed to choke out, my voice trembling. I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to create some distance between us, but he was unyielding, a solid wall of muscle and intent. “Please.”

His fingers continued their slow, deliberate exploration, inching lower, closer to the forbidden territory I had only dreamt of him touching. He was pushing boundaries, testing limits, and I was terrified of how easily I was crumbling.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered again, his voice a low, guttural plea that sent shivers down my spine. It was a test, a challenge, and I knew I had to pass it, for both our sakes.

"Stop," I said, the word barely audible, lost in the maelstrom of my emotions. "Please, Caleb, don't."

But my pleas seemed to fuel him, to embolden him. His fingers, calloused and strong, brushed against the lace of my underwear, lingering there, teasing, tormenting. I gasped, my body betraying me with a surge of heat and longing.

He ignored my feeble protests, his touch becoming bolder, more intimate. He knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly how to break me down, to leave me breathless and begging for more. His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, finding the soft skin beneath, and I cried out, a small, involuntary sound that was swallowed by the night.

I had no chance to do anything when his fingers brushed my clit, a shockwave of pure, unadulterated pleasure ripping through me. My muscles clenched, my breath caught in my throat, and I was lost, completely and utterly lost, in the sensation. It was an invasion, a violation, but God, it felt so good.

"This is all your fault," he seethed, his breath hot against my ear. "You fight me every chance you get. You push me to the edge, baby. Maybe I'm pathetic, selfish, but your safety is my first priority. You have to understand that."

"Stop, ah..." I gasped, the word fragmented, lost in the rising tide of sensation.

"Too late," he murmured, his voice thick with a possessive hunger that both terrified and thrilled me.

His fingers continued their relentless assault, skilled and knowing, drawing me deeper and deeper into the vortex of pleasure. He bit my neck, hard enough to leave a mark, a tangible sign of his ownership, and I whimpered, a sound that was half protest, half surrender. I hated it, hated the way he was manipulating me, the way he was taking control. But God, I loved it too. I loved the intensity of his touch, the raw power that radiated from him, the feeling of being completely consumed by him. It was wrong, I knew it was, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from wanting more.

Finally, as the last shudders racked my body, he pulled back, leaving me trembling and breathless in his arms. He stared down at me, his eyes dark and possessive, his face etched with a mixture of triumph and regret. "Good girl," he whispered, the words a brand seared into my soul. "You're mine to protect, baby. Don't you ever forget that."

[tsuyalovebot]

just thought of something.

you and caleb going to adopt a fur baby.

initially, the plan was to get a puppy. caleb doesn't question why you wanted a puppy; in actuality, it's because you fear he would never be able to handle a cat with his personality.

he was luminous the way the sun would spill pale light through sheer curtains, bleeding through the night that once occupied the solemn space. what about that would be compatible with cats?

yet, you leave the shelter with two kittens, one with black fur and the other a calico. much to your surprise, caleb's absolutely smitten with his choices. when you get back to his place in skyhaven, he's practically a golden retriever as the cats acquaint themselves with the layout of his home.

he has to be patient for the next few days, and it breaks his heart that they seem wary of him. the slightly larger kitten seems to hiss when he pets them for too long, or when he approaches the other smaller, frailer one, despite the latter's slowly growing fondness of him.

you're cutting up apple slices when caleb tells you, "they're just like us."

"what?"

when you turn, he's already gazing at you with that stupid look in his eyes again. like you're everything he's ever wanted and all he's been searching for. so annoying.

"he's protectin' her, silly. like how i protected you as kids. but cat form."

"well, yeah. who wouldn't be scared of your gargantuan ass?"

"garga–what?" he squawks, whatever sweet moment you were having instantly broken. humor settles in his irises before he's moving to push the knife from your hands. effortlessly squatting, the apples are forgotten the instant you're thrown over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

the loud smacks of your hands colliding with his back echo with your pops of laughter. "caleb! put me down!"

"nah. seems i got a cat that needs to be disciplined," he teases, palms holding the backs of your legs with one squeezing your thigh. a grin etched into his voice.

he's already carrying you off to the bedroom, the kittens in the living room watching with confusion.

"and you need to be neutered!" is the last shriek you manage to get out before the bedroom door clicks shut behind you both.

[huntercoreene]

it is criminal that Caleb doesn't have a 4* card in his Colonel uniform.

Measuring — Part 3

Pairing: Caleb x Reader

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Caleb's preparations for you before the first time you have sex (includes full on fingering and pussy eating this time)

Word Count: 2.3k

Tags/Warnings: fluff, teasing, slice of life, caleb being a bit of a dork, fingering, dirty talk, oral sex (fem receiving)

Read on Ao3 or under the cut 👇 Part 1 | Part 2

It has been a few days since your time in Skyhaven. You returned to Linkon as Caleb returned to his missions. You kept in touch with messages and calls every chance you got and every time he teased you a little bit about your time together. It was somehow easier to talk about sex over texts than when you were facing Caleb. As a result, every conversation you had with him ended up leaving you with a raised heartbeat and flushed cheeks.

It was after one such conversation – Caleb letting out a breathy moan in your ear as he said he couldn’t wait anymore and he had to see you – you found yourself leaning against a wall with a cold drink pressed to your cheek. You tried to meet up with Caleb since then but either he was called on an emergency mission or you were. The timing never seemed right as you both got increasingly frustrated.

You decided it was best to cool off with a shower when you finally managed to peal yourself off the cold wall. You were mostly in a daze under the water stream. Your mind kept slipping into how Caleb looked on that mirror. The longing in his eyes and how pretty his face was when he felt pleasure. You had no idea how long you were in the shower when you saw your phone ding.

It was Caleb's message tone so you dried your hands and took a look at the message.

- Where are you?

You hesitated for a moment before you answered but then typed the truth.

- In the shower.

The three dots appeared as he typed something then they disappeared. He sent a reply a moment later.

- Open the door. I'm here.

Your heart skipped a beat when you read those words. You stood there for a moment not knowing what to do as water dripped down from your body. You sprang into action as you turned off the water and wrapped a towel around your body before you rushed to the door.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. You had talked to Caleb this morning and he told you he had to be at the Fleet HQ all day but here he was, standing in front of you in his colonel uniform. You were both frozen the moment you opened the door as you took in the way he looked in his uniform. You watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, his eyes taking in the state you were in.

"Caleb! How are you here?" you said with excitement and confusion.

"I couldn't wait," he said with a breathy voice as he stepped inside your apartment and pulled you into a kiss.

You felt his arm wrap around your waist and pull you tighter to himself. You responded to his hungry kisses with equal need as your hands moved up on his arms. He pushed you against the wall just as you wrapped your arms around his neck, your hands buried in his soft hair. You barely registered that he closed the door with his foot before he picked you up in his arms.

“Caleb,” you pulled your lips away as you held onto the front of your towel, “my towel is slipping.”

He let out a groan of protest at the loss of your lips. “Good. You don’t need it for what I have planned for us tonight.” He gave you a dangerous smirk as he made his way to your bedroom with you on his lap.

“It’s not fair! You have a whole uniform on and I have next to nothing,” you whined as Calen placed you on the bed.

He chuckled as he crawled over you. “Feel free to undress me then.”

You looked at him with surprised eyes. You weren’t sure if it was the way he gave you such permission or how close his lips were to your ear that made your body shiver with anticipation. You ran your hand on his clothed chest as you looked deep into his amethyst eyes, imagining how it could feel like to touch his bare skin and feel his heart beat.

He covered your hand with his and moved it down to his belt. Your clumsy fingers got to work on unbuckling and he threw it away the next moment. Both of your hands found the hidden buttons under his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders as he loosened his tie. You got to work on unbuttoning his shirt before he even got his tie off.

“Ugh, so many layers,” you groaned with a playful look in your eyes. “Did you even stop by at your place?”

“I didn’t want to waste a second before I came here,” he said as he leaned back on his legs to take off his shirt.

You placed your hands on his bare chest. “Finally,” you murmured as you felt up his muscles under your fingers.

You moved closer and started leaving kisses to his chest. You felt his muscles tense up under your lips. You kissed the line between his pecs before moving to his right nipple. You flicked and gently sucked on his nipple, feeling it harden under your touch. Caleb let out a groan right before he threw his head back.

You looked up at him as you slid your fingers down his stomach, unbuttoning his trousers and opening his zipper. Both your hands moved to push his pants down when you felt his hands on your shoulders.

“Now it’s my turn to unwrap,” he said as he pushed you down on your back before he slipped off his trousers in one motion.

You stopped his hands when they reached to touch your towel. “I want this gone,” you said as you hooked your fingers on his underwear.

“Do it then,” he responded as if he was challenging you.

Your hand lingered on his underwear, moving to the middle to feel his hardness. A moan escaped his lips just as you pressed your palm over his clothed hard dick. You slowly pushed the waistband down, freeing his dick. The head was red and leaking precum. You licked your lips. You wanted to feel it in your mouth.

Caleb was watching you as you were taken by the sight of his dick. It throbbed and twitched with each of your reactions. He chuckled as he caught your hand which was on its way to stroke his dick.

"Told you, it's my turn now," he said as he slid his hand up your arm and pushed you on your back again.

He stepped back to remove his underwear and quickly came back to his position above you. His fingers traced your collar bone before pushing your towel down between your breasts. He pushed only enough to reveal the top of your breasts. He teasingly stroked over your nipples, touches so light it was almost not there but it was enough to harden your nipples. You could feel yourself slowly getting wet every time you felt his touch on your skin.

He found the edge of your towel and slowly opened it up while his eyes never left yours. You saw him hold his breath as you laid bare in front of him. He was looking at you like he wanted to devour you. You flushed under his intense gaze while you felt your lower body tingle. You crossed your legs and squirmed, trying to keep your desire from overwhelming you.

"Don't hide from me," Caleb said with a breathy voice.

His hands moved up from your ankles to your knees before he spread them open. He licked his lips while he looked at your pussy. It was already glistening with your arousal. His eyes and hands travelled up your body as he crawled over you. He was hungry for you but he wasn't going to rush anything. He was going to savour every second of this night.

He brushed your hair gently and placed his hand on your cheek as he left a soft kiss on your lips. You started to kiss slowly and you melted into his arms. He soon pulled you closer to his body as you wrapped your arms around him. You could feel how warm he was now that you were both naked. You loved being so close to him. You could feel your heartbeat get faster and your body was heating up. Every now and then you both stopped to breathe before going back to each other's lips.

His hard and precum leaking cock was pressed between both your bodies. You could feel its wetness on your belly and you wanted to feel more of it as you started to slowly move your hips. You wanted to grind on his cock. You wanted his fingers to touch your pussy. You moaned into his mouth as you felt a surge of arousal go through your body, making you dizzy.

"Touch me, please," you breathed out.

Caleb lifted his head, his eyes focused on your face as he slid his fingers down over your arm, your belly and inner thigh. He stroked his knuckles up and down on your thigh before you felt his touch on your pussy.

"Look how wet you are already," he teased as he stroked his fingers. He pressed on your clit as you let out a yelp before his fingers moved down to gather your slick.

"Don't tease me," you whined and squirmed under his touch, "please just put it in."

He chuckled. "I want to have a taste first."

He kissed his way down your body and placed your legs over his shoulders as he settled in between them. You could feel his hot breath on your skin and it was driving you crazy.

You felt his soft kisses first, then his hot tongue on your clit. He started to suck and lick on your pussy lips. He flicked your clit and tried out drawing various shapes, alternated between what made you clung to the sheets and what let you breathe. You were getting close to your climax.

"Caleb..." you moaned. You wanted to warn him but that was all you could say.

He stopped and grinned at you, his face glistening with your arousal.

"No," you whined, "I was so close."

"Not yet," he said as you felt his fingers on your pussy lips. He stroked up and down, touched your clit and caressed your skin before he placed his middle finger at your entrance.

"Let's open you up a little first." He pushed his finger inside you. You could feel your walls squeeze around his finger. "You're so tight. Does it hurt?"

"No, I feel good."

"Let's see if I can make you feel even better."

He started to lick and suck your clit while his hand slowly started to move inside you. Every so often he curled his finger until he found the place that made your walls tighten even more.

"Shall I try pushing in two fingers now?" He asked as he pumped his finger in and out of your slick pussy.

"Yes..."

He slowly pulled out his finger as you let out a sigh. He aligned his middle and ring fingers with your entrance this time and carefully pushed in. You held your breath as you felt two of his fingers spread your insides. Caleb pushed his fingers as far as he could and stopped, allowing you to get used to the stretch.

His thumb circled your clit gently as your walls tightened around his fingers every time he pressed down. He went down to lick your clit again as he slowly started to move his fingers in and out. You felt your insides stretch but you were so wet, his fingers were sliding very easily.

You could feel the pleasure building up within you. Your arms and legs were tingling with how good each stroke of his fingers felt coupled with his tongue lapping at your clit. He picked up the pace as he went, moving his fingers faster and faster. You were starting to lose control of yourself.

"Caleb..." you mewled and looked down. You felt weird like you were about to pee.

Caleb looked up at you with his mouth still latched on to your pussy. The view of him between your legs alone was enough to send shivers down your body. He was eating you out like it was his only meal as his fingers pushed in and out. He pressed that spot inside you every so often, making you unable to stay still. Your hands reached to his head as you tried to push him away. You could feel something was coming. He held you tightly in place as he increased the pressure of his movements.

"Caleb... I think, I'm gonna... ahhh-"

You pulled on his hair as you felt your body tense up. Caleb didn't stop and continued to press on your clit with his fingers and his mouth as you lost control completely. You tensed up and felt juices squirt all over his face as you closed your eyes shut with ecstasy.

You wanted to say sorry for making a mess but you were too out of it to mumble anything coherent. Once the extreme high of your orgasm subsided, you felt a feeling of numbness wash over your limbs and you fell to the bed with no energy in your arms and legs.

"I'm assuming, this means I did a good job," Caleb said as he placed his head on your belly and looked up at you behind your heaving chest.

"That was amazing,” you said as you tried to catch your breath. “I don't think I've had an orgasm like that ever before in my life." You placed your hand on his head and brushed his damp hair.

"I'm glad.” He gave you a proud and beaming smile then he left a kiss to your stomach before he pushed himself off the bed.

You turned to your side and watched him leave the room. The view of his bare backside was not something you got to enjoy every day and you were not gonna waste a second of it. You smiled and turned to lay on your back and listened to the sounds coming from your kitchen. Caleb returned soon after with a bottle and glasses, his hard cock still painfully hard between his legs.

"Drink up," Caleb said as he gave you a glass, "wouldn't want you getting dehydrated before the main event, would we?”

I swear they will do it in the next part!

I appreciate all kinds of comments and reblogs - let me know if you like it!

[zerocoded]

summary: caleb wants to confess to you on his knees and a 70-year-old lady becomes your biggest nightmare.

authors note: pls take a look at the warnings for a safe reading ♡ y'all are freakier than me and I LOVE IT, so here is the continuation of this post i made, if you haven't read it, go and tell me what you think about! also check the talented artist who made this drawing that i'm using as a banner, credits to her ♡ this thing was supposed to be 6k words max but i think i got a little too much into EVERYTHING so i'm sorry if this sucks. still, i wish you guys a nice reading!

warnings: MAJOR LORE GUESS, THIS IS MY THEORY OF HOW THINGS WILL PLAY OUT DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY • gaslighting and manipulation • SLIGHT yandere!caleb • possessive!caleb • isolation but just a little • minor injury • psychological distress • themes of wars and weaponization • we talk a little about our trauma • ptsd symptoms • negative talks about ourselves (booh) • caleb custom makes an uniform specially for us • hints at psychological torture • once again, ANGST BABES because these two really like to bicker with each other • sfw content but HEAVILY SUGGESTIVE, just nothing graphic

word count: 11.6k (pls let's not talk about it)

THIS IS THE PART TWO, you can read the first chapter below:

the first time you see caleb after the incident┃ you're here┃you punch caleb in the face┃caleb teaches you his love language

skyhaven, powered by a protocore, stood as a beacon of innovation—a home to cutting-edge research centers and advanced tech organizations. when you were younger, the suspended island above linkon city had been a dream, a place of endless possibility and freedom. now, standing here, you couldn’t shake the irony: the very place you once longed to visit now felt like a gilded cage.

your journey here has unsettled you, planting a persistent seed of doubt. was this truly what you wanted? leaving behind the familiar comforts of your apartment to follow caleb to this towering, enigmatic place—was it the right choice? did that moment—the feeling of his lips on yours—truly change anything between you? did he think about it as often as you did?

the initial shock and disbelief of reuniting with caleb, after weeks spent mourning him, had begun to settle by your second night in skyhaven. the whirlwind of emotions that came with seeing him alive—relief, confusion, and a flicker of anger—faded into a dull hum as reality set in. as the day dragged on, with caleb strictly advising you not to leave his sleeping quarters’ floor, you found yourself with plenty of time to adjust to the strange circumstances you now found yourself in.

your first day here had passed quietly, an uneasy stillness settling over you. you hadn’t yet met any of caleb’s colleagues. the only glimpse you’d gotten of them was when you both arrived, their initial looks of curiosity quickly extinguished by caleb’s commanding presence. whatever questions they had, they didn’t dare voice them. his authority was absolute, and for now, it shielded you from the world beyond his floor—but it also left you feeling isolated, a stranger in this new environment.

the second day started and ended much like the first—confined to his bedchambers, with nothing but your thoughts and the ever-changing view from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows in his room. you spent hours there, caught in a trance as the sky shifted through an endless palette of colors, clouds forming and dissolving in shapes that seemed just as fleeting as your grip on this new reality.

caleb’s presence was everywhere and that made you a little dizzy. his scent lingered in the shirts he had lent you, in the bed sheets that cradled you at night, a warm mix of leather, musk, and something distinctly his own. his quarters, though rarely used given how much of his time was consumed by work, were unmistakably a reflection of him.

the room was awash in muted greys, from the smooth metallic walls to the minimalist furniture that prioritized function over form. cabinets lined one side, adorned with badges from past missions—quiet tokens of his history, his sacrifices, and his triumphs. their arrangement felt almost random, yet carried a subtle, unspoken order.

his bed, though crisply made, was an island of softness in the otherwise sharp-edged decor. a worn leather jacket hung by the door, its scuffed edges a contrast to the polished surface of his boots, lined perfectly beneath. on the desk in the corner, a stack of reports waited alongside a notebook with frayed edges, a relic of a more personal side of him he rarely let anyone see.

when reality came crashing down, you realized that you felt no different than when you were a little kid—admiring the boy of your dreams from a distance, your heart caught between hope and the quiet certainty that this dream was just that: a dream. the same ache lingered, a mixture of longing and doubt. you felt closer to that dream every time you caught caleb staring at you when he thought you were distracted.

speaking of ache, the injury you’d sustained a few days earlier during one of your missions was still fresh in your memory. the medic team at the farspace fleet had tended to it with precision, and that counted as the second time you’d interacted with anyone here. you hadn’t meant to let it slip during your journey that your ribs were swollen from an accident at work, but caleb had noticed—and he wasn’t about to let you brush it off.

when you tried to wave away his concerns, insisting you just needed rest, he didn’t take it lightly. his worry for you came out in an unusual way—firm, commanding, and impossible to ignore. he barked orders at the medic team with an authority that left no room for argument, his voice sharp and unwavering. watching him threaten them to ensure you received the best care, you couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t just acting as a colonel—he was someone who cared deeply for you. 

as the clock marked the start of your third day as caleb’s reluctant guest, you rose from his bed, the routine as monotonous as the view outside. you slipped into fresh clothes—despite having no prospect of seeing anyone besides caleb—and began your habitual ritual of tidying up his space, a quiet attempt to pass the time and bring a sliver of normalcy to the strange circumstances.

you were certain the colonel wouldn’t mind if you spent the day lounging in his shirt—it wasn’t like he’d complain—but there was something about maintaining a semblance of decency that felt necessary. maybe it was your way of reminding yourself that you and caleb weren’t pre-teenagers cuddling in granny’s sofa like you used to anymore, now you were both adults.

caleb’s presence in the room was fleeting, almost ghostlike. you always fell asleep before he returned and woke to find the bed cold and empty, his absence a constant companion. and yet, in the stillness of the night, there were moments—fleeting, but undeniable—when you stirred just enough to feel him. his arm would circle your waist, his breath soft against your hair. it was never long enough to fully wake, but just enough to remind you that he was there, in his own quiet, guarded way.

and there it goes your attempt at decency once again.

you’d joked once about how he was keeping you hostage, trying to lighten the mood of your strange arrangement. caleb had smirked at your remark, that faint, knowing curve of his lips that you used to know what it meant but couldn’t pinpoint it anymore. “be patient”, he’d teased, throwing out that stupid nickname he’d decided to saddle you with since kids. then, with his usual abruptness, he’d turned to leave, disappearing for yet another task that demanded his attention.

you caught yourself daydreaming about kicking his ass more times than you wanted to admit, but refrained from it because of the little consideration you had for the man. caleb had always been more than a mere presence in your life. growing up, he had been both a confidant and the object of an innocent, unspoken infatuation. 

back at school, you remembered the way your classmates would fawn over him after the whole chronorift thing happened, their voices tinged with admiration and awe. it had stirred a quiet possessiveness in you that you hadn’t fully acknowledged until now—until two nights ago, when he brought you to the farspace fleet. the way the other daa soldiers regarded him, with a mixture of respect and fear, reminded you of those little girls in school, seeing him as someone out of reach. 

the sound of your footsteps echoed faintly in the silence of caleb’s quarters as you paced, restless energy building with nowhere to go. the midday light filtering through the observation deck window cast long shadows, shifting subtly as the minutes dragged into hours. you’d spent the morning turning over every piece of information caleb had given you—trying to make sense of his cryptic remarks.

you had thought about confronting him more than once, but every time you pictured his sharp gaze and those carefully chosen, guarded responses, you stopped yourself. caleb didn’t share things easily like he used to, and if he was keeping you in the dark now, there had to be a reason. but patience had never been your strong suit, and the isolation of the past three days only made your doubts heavier, pressing against your thoughts like an unshakable weight.

as the door to his quarters hissed open, your heart jumped, the sound breaking the stillness like a gunshot. caleb stepped inside, his movements precise, his expression unreadable. his uniform was slightly rumpled, the dark fabric clinging to his frame, and a faint sheen of sweat on his brow suggested whatever task he’d been called to wasn’t as simple as he might claim.

“you’re still up here,” he observed, his tone neutral but his gaze flicking over you briefly before settling on the desk where he’d left a stack of reports.

“where else would i be?” you replied, trying to mask the tension in your voice. “you made it pretty clear this is my designated prison cell.”

his lips quirked into that familiar smirk. “if this is a prison, i’d say you’ve got the best cell in the fleet.”

you rolled your eyes at his response, folding your arms across your chest. “sure, best cell in the fleet,” you muttered, your tone dripping with sarcasm. “it’s not like i have much to compare it to.”

caleb chuckled softly, his smirk lingering as he moved toward the desk, casually thumbing through the stack of reports. “you’ve got a knack for making everything sound like an ordeal,” he said, glancing at your choice of clothes for the day—it wasn’t anything crazy, just some jeans and a black compression shirt. caleb didn’t gave you time to actually pack your stuff, of course. “but you’ll want to save your complaints for later. something tells me you’re about to get more to gripe about.”

before you could ask what he meant, the door hissed open again, and a small team of people entered, their arrival so abrupt it left you momentarily stunned. they carried garment bags and cases, moving efficiently under caleb’s orders. he turned to you, his expression unreadable but his tone calm and firm.

“go with them,” he said simply. “they’ll help you get ready.”

you stared at him, incredulous. “ready for what?”

“it’s time for you to get out of here,” he said, his tone firm yet measured. “you need to meet some people. there’s an interrogation set up, and they’re going to need answers—everything you know about onychinus, the aether core, and ever. try to dig up whatever you can remember about your time in the lab,” he added, his lips curving into a faint smile. “that should keep them satisfied, princess.”

your body tensed at the mention of onychinus. it was a name you didn’t expect to hear here, of all places, and the weight of it hit you like a blow to the chest. your gaze snapped to caleb, your mind already racing. how much did he know? how much had he told them?

“onychinus?” you repeated, your voice sharper than you intended. “how do they even know about that?”

did they know about sylus?

caleb’s expression remained unreadable, his amethystine eyes cool and steady, but there was a flicker of something he wasn’t saying. “this isn’t just about you anymore,” he replied simply. “they need answers. so do i.”

“and the lab?” you snapped, your frustration bubbling to the surface. “what the hell is that supposed to mean? i don’t know shit about that place, caleb. i already told you. it’s hard enough to believe i’m some kind of fucking experiment.”

he sighed heavily, the sound more resigned than exasperated. “we’ve talked about this,” he said, his voice steady but with a tinge of weariness, as if the conversation had played out in his head a hundred times already.

“no,” you shot back, stepping closer, your voice trembling with emotion. “you talked about this. you told me we’re human weapons, made to destroy each other. you told me about your time before the chronorift and granny josephine.” your voice faltered for a moment, your breath hitching. “and i told you, caleb, i don’t remember any procedures being done without my consent. even after the chronorift tragedy. you should stop fretting me about this.”

“you don’t remember,” he said quietly, his amethystine eyes holding yours with a steady intensity. “that’s fine. i didn’t either, at first.” he paused, the faintest flicker of something unreadable crossing his face before he continued. “but i hope we can talk about this again later, when you finally do remember.”

his voice dropped lower. “trust me,” he said, the words heavy with meaning. “you’re going to want me by your side when that happens.”

you narrowed your eyes, your tone turning accusatory. “and what about you? are they interrogating you too, or is this just about me?”

he tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into that faint smirk that was equal parts infuriating and captivating. “i was the one who asked for your interrogation,” he said, his voice calm, almost casual, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell.

“what do you mean, you asked?” you demanded, stepping closer to him, your heart pounding in your chest. the sheer size of him, amplified by the sharp lines of his uniform, made him feel larger than life. the dark fabric clung to his frame, accentuating his out worldly height.

his perfume was also divine.

“i need to make sure you’re telling the truth,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind. the words hung in the air, a challenge wrapped in concern. his bionic arm rested at his side, the faint hum of its servos almost lost in the tension between you.

your breath hitched, a mix of anger and hurt bubbling to the surface. “you don’t trust me,” you said, your voice quieter now, though no less sharp. “after the stunt you pulled at granny’s house, i should be the one not to trust you”.

his gaze softened, just for a moment, but then his expression hardened again, the familiar steel returning to his eyes. “this isn’t about trust,” he said, his voice low and steady. “it’s about knowing what we’re up against. i can’t afford to take chances—not with you, not with anyone.”

you felt the heat rise to your cheeks, your fists clenching at your sides. “you’re not the caleb i remember,” you muttered, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

his jaw tightened, and he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. the sharp lines of his uniform, the way his eyes seemed to pierce right through you—it was almost too much. “i’m not,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “that boy’s gone. at least the part of him that had to change so i could protect you right now. and if you can’t handle that—”

“don’t,” you interrupted, your voice shaking slightly. “just forget it.”

the tension between you crackled like static, the air too heavy to breathe. finally, he exhaled, the sound more controlled than the storm in his eyes. “after the interrogation,” he said, his tone softening just a fraction, “you’ll be free to move around skyhaven. no more confinement.”

you didn’t respond, your throat tight with words you couldn’t bring yourself to say. as if sensing the shift, caleb straightened, his imposing figure softening just slightly as he stepped closer. his expression shifted to something quieter, almost tender.

“hey,” he said softly, his voice dropping to that low, comforting tone he used when he wanted you to listen. his flesh hand gently cradled your cheek, the warmth of his touch grounding you, even as you stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. “you know you can trust me, right? pipsqueak?”

the nickname caught you off guard, tugging at something familiar, something from a time when things felt simpler. you blinked, unsure whether to be annoyed or comforted by the teasing lilt in his voice. “don’t call me that,” you muttered, though your heart wasn’t in it. 

you blinked hard, feeling the sting of unshed tears threatening to spill over. your chest tightened as the emotions you’d been trying to bury the last two days clawed their way to the surface. his thumb brushed against your cheek, a quiet, unspoken reassurance.

“look at me,” he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost a plea. when you didn’t, he leaned in just enough for you to feel the warmth of his breath. 

the warmth in his eyes didn’t fade. “stop acting like you don’t trust me,” he said, the teasing edge softening into something more serious. “i know this isn’t easy for you. hell, it’s not easy for me either. but i need you to believe me when i say i’m doing this for us—for you.”

“for me?” you repeated, your voice laced with annoyance as you crossed your arms. “you shouldn’t keep me in the dark like this, caleb. i don’t like it.”

his expression faltered for just a second, a flicker of guilt crossing his features before he straightened again, his bionic arm twitching faintly at his side. “it’s not that i don’t trust you,” he said, his voice firm but not harsh. “it’s that i need to protect you. and sometimes… that means making decisions you’re not going to like.”

you swallowed hard, his words settling heavily in your chest. he reached out then, his human hand brushing lightly against your arm, grounding you with a touch that was more deliberate than casual.

“you know me,” he whispered in your ear, leaning in slightly, his voice so quiet it was almost a secret. “you know i’d never let anything happen to you. you’re the only one i’ve ever been able to count on. don’t forget that, okay?”

after that, caleb took a step away from you, nodding to the team waiting by the door.

“get her ready,” he ordered, his voice carrying that same commanding edge that left no room for argument.

the team ushered you into a side room, where they worked quickly and efficiently to help you change. the uniform they presented was a masterpiece—sleek and custom-fitted, clearly designed to match the style of caleb’s but with details tailored to you. the base was a deep charcoal grey, nearly black, with white, red and gold piping along the seams and shoulders that shimmered faintly in the light. the high collar hugged your neck, its edges trimmed with subtle leather lines.

the fabric was sturdy yet flexible, designed for both movement and protection, while still accentuating your figure with precision. the insignia on the chest was a smaller, more refined version of the fleet’s emblem, embossed in gold. the sleeves bore intricate embroidery that hinted at your stats as a companion, adding a touch of elegance to the otherwise utilitarian design. the boots were polished to perfection, completing the look with a sense of authority and efficiency.

the team handed you the final piece of the uniform—a sleek military-style hat reminiscent of a pilot’s, crafted with the same precision and detail as the rest of the attire. its charcoal-grey base was accented with a polished silver insignia of the fleet, the mark of the deepspace aviation administration that gleamed in the light. 

the room buzzed with quiet efficiency as the staff worked around you, their movements quick but deliberate. the space itself was bright and sterile, with sleek metallic walls that reflected the soft hum of machinery. the air carried a faint smell of ozone and disinfectant, underscoring the precision of the environment. each member of the team seemed hyper-focused on their tasks—adjusting a seam here, brushing away an invisible speck of lint there—all while maintaining a level of deference that left you slightly uneasy.

their respect toward you wasn’t forced, but it felt oddly out of place, as if it was more a reflection of caleb’s authority than anything you’d earned. you caught snippets of murmured conversation between them, their glances respectful yet curious, as though they were trying to piece together who you were and why caleb had ordered such meticulous preparation for you.

when they finished, you stepped out into the hall where caleb was waiting. he stood with his back to you, his broad shoulders filling the space, his bionic arm resting at his side. 

for a split second you imagined yourself kicking his ass once again and making him fall face first on the floor for the way he’d been avoiding you the last two days. but then you remembered where you were and what you were doing here.

you’re not lying when saying you had spent a few seconds just glancing at his back without his notice. the sharp lines of his uniform only emphasized the commanding presence he carried, making him look every bit the colonel he was. the moment he felt your presence, he turned, his amethyst eyes locking onto you.

for a moment, caleb didn’t say anything. his gaze swept over you, slow and deliberate, taking in every detail of the uniform. his expression was unreadable, but his eyes held something deeper—pride, maybe, or something more possessive.

“it fits,” he said finally, his voice low and steady, 

“barely,” you replied, attempting to lighten the moment, though the intensity of his stare made your voice falter.

he stepped closer, his movements deliberate, his gaze never leaving yours. “no,” he said, his lips twitching into the faintest smirk. “it fits perfectly.”

his eyes swept over you again, lingering just a fraction too long to be casual. “actually,” he murmured, his voice dropping an octave, “it does more than fit. you look…” he paused, tilting his head slightly as if searching for the right word, though the gleam in his eyes told you he already knew. “exceptional.”

you felt heat rise to your cheeks, his compliment catching you off guard. “exceptional?” you echoed, attempting to keep your voice steady, though it betrayed you with a slight waver. “didn’t think you were the type to throw around fancy words like that, colonel.”

his smirk deepened, the teasing edge in his gaze making your pulse quicken. “i don’t throw them around,” he said smoothly. “only when they’re deserved.”

the way he looked at you made your breath hitch, the weight of his presence making the space between you feel charged. “you didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” you murmured, your fingers brushing over the insignia on your chest.

“i did,” he replied simply, his voice dropping even lower. “you’re with me now. they need to see that.” his gaze softened just enough to let a flicker of vulnerability show before it disappeared. “are you ready?”

no, i’m not, you wanted to say, but you doubted your insecurity would make a difference here. you were a hunter on a mission right now, and any false step could lead to your demise and caleb’s plan failing. you hoped he didn’t sense your nervousness, but something told you that you couldn’t hide anything from the man beside you. he always knew how to read you—this part of him resembled zayne a little, though you feared the comparison.

you walked side by side out of the sleeping quarters, your boots echoing softly against the polished floors. the corridor was a stark contrast to the warmth of caleb’s quarters—bright, sterile, and buzzing with activity. as soon as you stepped into view, every officer and soldier below caleb’s rank stopped their tasks, snapping to attention with a crisp salute. the air seemed to shift, charged with an unspoken reverence for the colonel.

the corridor led to an expansive atrium, its vaulted ceiling revealing the full grandeur of skyhaven. the deepspace aviation administration headquarters was a masterpiece of engineering, blending sleek modernity with a palpable sense of purpose. towering support structures arched gracefully overhead, made of an alloy that shimmered faintly under the artificial lighting. expansive observation windows lined the atrium walls, offering a breathtaking view of linkon city far below.

skyhaven itself was an artificial marvel, a massive floating island suspended by an intricate network of protocore technology and magnetic stabilizers. the island wasn’t just a hub for the military—it was a living ecosystem of cutting-edge science and aviation. beneath the steel and glass exterior, skyhaven buzzed with life, housing research centers, training facilities, and state-of-the-art hangars that extended far beyond the viewable limits.

as you glanced out one of the observation windows, a small sigh of relief escaped your lips. linkon city stretched far below, its familiar skyline bathed in the amber glow of the sun. despite everything—your doubts, your fears—there was something comforting about seeing the world from this vantage point. for a moment, you let yourself appreciate the surreal beauty of it, even as caleb’s brisk pace pulled you back into the present.

as you approached the center of the base, the architecture shifted subtly, becoming even more advanced. panels of polished black metal lined the walls, embedded with glowing data streams that flickered in shades of blue and green. interactive holographic displays projected tactical maps, fleet status reports, and complex equations, their light casting faint patterns across the gleaming floor.

caleb led you through a security checkpoint, where biometric scanners and advanced surveillance systems verified your presence. the guards at the station snapped to attention at his approach, their expressions taut with respect. beyond the checkpoint, the central operations hub opened up—a sprawling room filled with tiered workstations and holo-screens that hovered mid-air.

in the heart of the hub stood a group that was unmistakably different. clad in black tactical uniforms, their gear adorned with the subtle insignia of ever, this was the special force. they didn’t salute caleb as the others had; their deference was more subtle, marked by a slight inclination of their heads and a sharp, assessing glance in your direction.

you felt your blood boil as your gaze landed on the emblem stitched into their uniforms—the unmistakable insignia of ever. the sight of it twisted your stomach, bringing back every sleepless night, every unanswered question that had haunted you since josephine’s death. zayne’s reluctant handoff of those cryptic documents had started it all, but it was the whispers of ever that had lingered at the edges of your stay at the N109 zone and your time at the nest that really troubled you.

and now, here they were, not just a name on a paper or a faint memory on onychinus’ air, but living, breathing soldiers standing right in front of you. their presence was as real as the knot forming in your chest. 

one of them stepped forward, a woman with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to miss nothing. her voice was calm but firm. “colonel,” she said, her gaze briefly flicking to you. “the team is ready for the briefing. we’ve set up in conference room XO2.”

your gaze darted to caleb, who was speaking with the woman at the forefront of ever’s team. his tone was steady, his expression calm, but to you, it was infuriatingly unreadable. how could he be so composed? how could he stand there, shoulder to shoulder with the people who might have made you both into weapons? your mind raced with fragments of memory and half-formed theories.

caleb’s words echoed in your mind: “we’re human weapons, made to destroy each other.�� it was a concept you’d rejected at first, clinging to the idea that you were still whole, just a hunter with a weird heart. but the cracks had started to show. the unnatural resilience, the strange flashes of memory that felt both foreign and familiar, the way caleb’s presence had always felt like a tether. had josephine known? had she always known what you were? was that why she left you those documents, why she’d placed zayne in your path? 

as you walked toward the mentioned room, the sound of your boots echoed faintly in the metallic corridor, mingling with the synchronized footsteps of the armed guards flanking you. their presence was suffocating, a living barricade of authority around you. their weapons were sleek and unrelenting.

the corridor opened up into a larger chamber, the entrance marked by a reinforced door flanked by additional guards. their posture was identical to the others, their faces emotionless masks as they stepped aside to let you pass. the door hissed open with a low, mechanical groan, revealing a room that was as starkly advanced as the rest of skyhaven.

as you waited for caleb to acknowledge you, suddenly all of the guards left, leaving only caleb, you and the lady in the room.

caleb gestured for you to take a seat, his voice low but firm. “sit,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. you hesitated for a fraction of a second, your gaze flicking to him before complying. the grey-haired woman took a seat across from you, her sharp eyes meeting yours with an intensity that made your pulse quicken.

caleb remained standing, his hands resting on the back of the chair beside you. his presence was steady, but you could feel the tension radiating from him. he leaned down, close enough that you could feel the warmth of his breath against your ear.

"do as you’re told and don’t cause any trouble," he whispered, his voice low and edged with an authority that sent a shiver down your spine. "you won’t get hurt, then."

your body stiffened at his words, your fists curling slightly against the cool surface of the table. despite the sharpness in his tone, there was an undercurrent of something else—something almost protective.

the grey-haired woman—you still didn’t know her name—exchanged a few words with caleb and then rose from her seat completely ignoring you. her heels clicked against the floor as she strode toward the door, her sharp gaze lingering on you for a moment before she exited. you caught the faintest glint of approval in her eyes as she passed. the door hissed shut behind her, leaving you and caleb alone in the room… or so it seemed. you glanced to the side, catching sight of the conference window. she was still there, standing with her arms crossed, her sharp silhouette illuminated by the sterile glow of the room beyond. a microphone sat near her hand, her presence palpable even in her absence.

"if you’re understanding the situation, then let’s go ahead and have a nice chat, right, pipsqueak?” caleb said, straightening and placing his hands on the table. “there’s more than one pair of eyes observing you in this room and it will be over before you know it". if he was trying to console you, he was doing a terrible job.

the investigation started with stupid questions like what was your name, age and evol. questions about the chronorift catastrophe resurfaced and time dragged slow by the time caleb got to the more important questions. your patience were running thin, asking yourself why was the need of all this bullshit if they wouldn’t explain things to you at the end of the day.

caleb’s monotone tone annoyed you more than anything, but the eyes observing you in this room stopped you from starting a childish banter with the colonel. speaking of eyes, the grey-haired-scary woman kept hers on you the whole time. you could feel her obsession over this ever entity all the way from fucking linkon city. you hated it.

as time passed by, you started to grow restless when he got to ask the questions about granny. it was infuriating the way he was speaking like he wasn’t there the whole time—like he wasn’t the other child that josephine took under her wing. 

your anger faltered when caleb reached into his jacket and pulled out a stack of papers. the documents slid across the table with a deliberate motion, their edges crisp and yellowed with age. the faint scent of old paper mixed with the sterile tang of the room. “these,” he said, tapping the top of the stack with two fingers, “are her personnel files from ever.”

his words hit like a punch to the gut. for a moment, all you could do was stare at him, your mind struggling to process what he’d just said. the room seemed to tilt, and you gripped the edge of the chair to steady yourself.

“what?”, your throat was hoarse from answering all of the stupid questions previously, leaving you with a sense of laziness.

“this is what we were capable of gathering from the ever base, turns out they didn’t questioned why we needed it at all”. his words hung in the air as if taunting you.

“what are you on about, caleb?” the words escaped your lips, hollow and trembling. the honorifics were gone now, discarded the second his eyes shifted toward the grey-haired woman observing from the other room. 

“would you at least look at it first?”, his annoyed tone made your blood boil.

“not if you’re going to keep playing me, this is not funny.” even after you said that, his lips quirked into a milimetrical smirk.

“i’m not asking you to jump from the observation deck, pipsqueak, i’m asking you to read our granny’s documents”.

you wanted to laugh—this was absurd. it had to be.

“i don’t have a reason to lie to you, do i?” he replied, his voice maddeningly calm. that infuriating tone of his—it made you want to reach across the table and slap the smugness off his face. how dare he accuse the woman who had raised you, who had raised both of you, of being involved in something as insidious as this entity?

“shut up and stop running in circles!” you shoved the chair back as you stood, the legs screeching against the floor. you leaned forward, eyes locked on his with a fire that demanded answers. “is this a game to you? did i come all the way from linkon city for nothing? you said you would help me.”

“and i am helping you.” caleb’s reply was calm, as if he weren’t phased by your outburst. “this is the truth, princess.”

princess. there it was again—that nickname, so casual and so utterly out of place in a room filled with cold, calculated tension. did no one else find it strange that the colonel of the daa was speaking to you like this? a glance at the observation window confirmed that the grey-haired woman hadn’t moved an inch. her gaze remained fixed, expression unreadable.

what had caleb told her about you? about this? and why in god’s name had you agreed to any of it in the first place?

“Y/N.” his voice snapped through the air, sharp and commanding. he saw the way your legs shifted toward the door, the way your hands twitched with the urge to leave. before you could move, his hand shot out, wrapping around your wrist. the contact wasn’t rough, but the authority in his grip held you in place. his eyes met yours, and for a second, you froze under the weight of that gaze. it was as if the word “behave” was scrawled across his face, an order you couldn’t defy.

why did he need you to believe in things that felt so unexplainable? what was he trying so hard to convince you?

“she was recruited at thirty-one,” caleb continued, as if you weren’t about to leave this place for good instants ago. “straight out of her postdoctoral research in applied quantum mechanics and energy manipulation. she was already making waves in the scientific community, so ever snapped her up for their advanced energy division.”

“you don’t even know what you’re talking about”. you defended, freeing your hand from his grip and crossing your arms with anger.

“have you never asked yourself why granny didn’t move houses?”, his eyes were fixed on you, the moment charged with unexplained betrayal. still, he didn’t stop there. “she hated that neighborhood and always complained about the kids leaving trash on the sidewalks. still, she never moved. have you never thought about how she was always alone, didn’t had friends, no one visited? how she was able to afford your college? she never spoke about having children and her family never called.”

the rage that had fueled you moments ago was now dulled by confusion. the image of her—your grandmother, your rock—shifted in your mind, colliding with the version caleb was painting. a version you couldn’t reconcile with the woman who used to hum lullabies while baking or press a kiss to your forehead after long days.

but the conviction in caleb’s tone was undeniable, and the papers lying between you were a damning testament to something you weren’t ready to face.

hesitant, you reached for the documents, your fingers trembling. the top page bore a formal header: EVER CORPORATION - PERSONNEL DOSSIER: DR. JOSEPHINE. below it, a photograph of your grandmother stared back at you, her sharp features framed by neatly pinned hair and a lab coat adorned with various badges of rank.

you scanned the documents, words like chief research officer and project architect leaping out at you. “she was the head scientist?” you asked, your voice barely audible.

fucking hell. this was impossible.

“not just head scientist,” caleb said. “she was promoted to director of advanced energy systems by thirty-five. she oversaw the development of key protocore technologies before spearheading project aether. these reports,” he gestured to the papers, “detail her work in bioenergetics, quantum harmonics, and adaptive energy matrices. she didn’t just design the aether core—she built the framework that made it possible.”

he made a pause to glance at you. you felt his eyes on you, heavy with meaning, but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop reading the details in front of you. every line on the page chipped away at the foundation of what you thought you knew.

“i know this because we used to work together.” the words sliced through the sterile air, shattering the fragile barrier between your disbelief and the truth he was forcing on you. there it was again—an unexplainable revelation that felt shattering and wrong.

what was that again?

your hands froze, trembling slightly as the paper slipped from your grasp. your eyes lifted to meet his, and for a moment, the rest of the room faded into nothing. the hat was off his head now, his fluffy hair slightly mussed as if this moment required something more personal, more vulnerable. it didn’t match the clinical coldness of the room or the gaze of the grey-haired woman observing from the corner. it felt intimate, despite the invasive presence lurking just behind the glass.

“what is that supposed to mean?”, your heart was beating like crazy, you could feel the vibrations thrumming through your ears. “i don’t… i don’t believe you”.

“she recruited me to take care of you.” his voice was quieter now, and for the first time, you saw a flicker of something raw in his expression. empathy, maybe. or guilt. it was enough to make him look away, his gaze dropping to the papers spread between you. “as an experiment.”

his words hung in the air like a loaded weapon. the tingling sensation that ran down your spine turned into a full-body shiver. your breath hitched, and tears stung at the corners of your eyes, threatening to spill over. your throat tightened as the weight of what he was saying settled in, suffocating and relentless.

“impossible. granny wasn’t a woman on a mission, she was…”, you gulped, “she was intelligent and kind.”

the room spinned, your breath hitched. again, the situation was sadly laughable. were those times you dreamed about blood, about a life that didn’t seem to belong to you all real? were they fragments of your memory? weren’t they just coincidences?

gods, how were you so stupid? how did you never think about this?

“was all of this ever all along?” you muttered, the words tasting bitter on your tongue. the room felt too small, the air too stifling. your hands clenched into fists at your sides, and for a fleeting moment, you wanted to punch something, anything. it felt childish, but the frustration boiling in your chest demanded release.

“why would she hide this?” your voice cracked as you spoke, trembling with the weight of everything you were trying to hold back. “why wouldn’t she tell me?”

you didn’t see a reason to keep this from you. from your life. would you even know about this if you never blindly agreed to show your face in the nest that day? how could something so enormous not make itself accidentally aware throughout one’s whole life?

and how could you be so stupidly blind? what were you, a child?

caleb’s gaze softened slightly. “because she knew what ever would do if they thought you were a threat at that time. she hid the truth to protect you, but in doing so, she left you vulnerable. and now, we’re all paying the price.”

“protecting me?” you echoed, your voice laced with disbelief. “how is lying to me, hiding everything, supposed to protect me? she left me completely blind!”

you were so angry. angry at yourself, angry at the woman who raised you, angry at caleb for not telling you, angry even at fucking zayne for handling you those documents from you. he probably also had secrets about your heart’s condition that he never talked about.

how could anyone possibly hide something like this from you? weren’t they your friends?

how did betrayal felt so bitter and deserving at the same time?

“you were a kid, Y/N,” caleb said, his voice calm but laced with an edge of frustration, as though he were trying to reason with a storm.

“so were you!” you snapped, the words sharp and cutting. the knot of anger and betrayal in your chest tightened, spreading like fire through your veins. “you never… did you never think about how i would feel? god, caleb.”

caleb leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, his fingers interlocking as he spoke. “she left you blind because she knew they were watching. she couldn’t risk them finding out how much she cared about you, how far she was willing to go to shield you. the second they saw you as a threat—or as leverage—everything she’d done would have been for nothing.”

his words settled over you like a heavy fog, dense and suffocating. you wanted to reject them, to push back against the idea that your grandmother—the woman who had been your everything—had willingly kept you in the dark about a past so entwined with danger. 

“did she fucking planned her death as well? did she know about the explosion that day?”. you were practically raging now, venom laced with hurt spitting from your mouth as your body leaned over the table, trying to make caleb snap you back into reality. why was he telling you all of these nonsense?

“she asked me to end her the moment she posed a threat to you. she didn’t know about the explosion, i didn’t tell her.” his low tone showed a masked hurt that almost offended you.

oh, you were so pissed.

“so, what?” you said. “she let them turn me into this… thing? this experiment? and then she just… left?”

“she didn’t just leave. she stayed in their system as long as she could, long enough to set things in motion for you to have a chance of surviving. she made choices that no one should ever have to make, and she paid for them.” your eyes watered and your chest tightened. 

“do i really have a chance?” you asked, your voice trembling as you pointed toward the grey-haired woman standing beyond the glass. “isn’t she from ever? what are you doing with these people, caleb? heavens, i can’t even understand you anymore.”

his face didn’t change immediately, but his shoulders seemed to tense, the weight of your words pressing down on him. when he spoke, his voice was low, steady. “josephine told me everything,” he began, his gaze dropping to the table for just a moment. “right after i turned old enough to understand what it all meant. she didn’t just tell me—she made me promise.”

“promise what?!” your voice cracked, and the anger that had been simmering inside you surged again, fueled by the sharp sting of treachery.

“to protect you,” he said, his words slow and deliberate, as though each one was a confession. “she used me, Y/N. she knew what was going to happen. she knew what they’d try to do to you, what they’d use you for. and she… she made me a part of her plan.”

“her plan?” you echoed, the bitterness in your voice cutting through the air. “what plan, caleb? because from where i’m standing, all i see is a mess she left for me to clean up.”

his jaw tightened, and he finally looked back at you, his amethyst eyes sharp but filled with something raw and unspoken. “it wasn’t just her plan. it became mine too. i let her use me, Y/N, because i thought—i hoped—it would mean you’d never have to deal with this. i thought i could handle it for both of us.”

“and what?” you snapped, leaning forward as your frustration boiled over. “you just decided for me? you and her both?”

“i didn’t decide for you,” he shot back, his voice rising for the first time, though his control quickly reined it in. “i decided to protect you. there’s a difference.”

“why would you do that?” you asked, your voice quieter now but no less cutting. “because it feels like all both of you did was trap me in this endless nightmare.”

caleb’s patience snapped. you saw the moment it happened—something dark flickered behind his eyes, replacing the calm exterior he’d been holding onto. without warning, he rose from his chair, the scrape of metal against the floor echoing through the room. before you could react, his hands slammed down on the table on either side of you, caging you in with his sheer presence.

he leaned over you, his frame engulfing yours entirely. his proximity forced you backward, the cool surface of the table pressing against your spine as you arched slightly to meet his gaze. the shift in his demeanor sent a shiver down your spine—not fear, but something far more complicated. his presence was suffocating, his intensity overwhelming, and yet you couldn’t look away.

if anyone entered the room now, they wouldn’t even know you were there, hidden entirely behind his broad frame. he was close—too close—and every inch of him radiated authority and tension. 

you still felt anger pulse inside you. even with his figure towering over you, you stared right back into his eyes, daring him to explain. but caleb wasn’t waiting for your permission to speak—his words spilled out, sharp and unrelenting, as though he’d been holding them in for far too long.

“you can scream all you want, princess,” he began, his voice dangerously low but cutting, “but i’m not letting you blame the woman who gave me the chance of loving you for something she regretted every day of her life until the day she died.” his eyes burned into yours, daring you to interrupt, but you stayed silent, your breath caught in your throat.

“she designed the aether core,” he continued, the words bitter, as if they left a bad taste in his mouth, “but she didn’t know it was going to be put in a fucking child. she told me that. she swore it to me.” his voice cracked slightly, a rare vulnerability slipping through before he pressed on.

“she would never partake in something so inhuman and cruel if she’d known about it,” he said, his tone hardening again. “when she realized what they were doing—what you were—she made a choice. she could’ve run and left us behind, but she didn’t do that.” his gaze softened for a brief moment before his jaw tightened. “she took us with her.”

his next words struck you like a blow. “ever knew the potential the aether core had. so they created an antidote. me.”

the silence that followed was deafening, his confession hanging heavy in the air between you. your heart raced, but you couldn’t bring yourself to respond—not yet. 

“before i even knew you, princess, our destinies were bound,” he said, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. “we were never meant to be anything else—two halves of a cruel design, bound together by ruthless people driven by intense power.”

he leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming. “when she told me everything, when i finally understood, i made a choice. i sacrificed myself to continue the fucking experiments ever wanted me to participate, so no one else in this world would have the capacity to destroy you other than me.” he straightened, his tone heavy with finality. “only me.”

you heard your own hiccup as if it were from somene else.

"kirsten was her colleague," caleb said, his voice steady but carrying an edge of urgency. "she also left the project behind when things got heated. since then, they’ve been trying to capture you. she was the one who handed me these documents." he gestured toward the stack of papers, his gaze flicking briefly to the woman observing you from beyond the glass. "grandma trusted her."

your surprise was impossible to hide. your eyes darted to the woman, her stoic presence now layered with a significance you hadn’t grasped until this moment.

"we both are trying to find a way to protect you," caleb continued, his tone firm. "and infiltrating ever is the first step to do that. we need to gather as much information we can and gain their trust so we can take them down and their fucking crazy plan of interstellar domination."

oh fuck, they wanted the aether core for that?

he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your breath catch. "do you understand it now, pipsqueak?" his voice softened at the nickname, but the weight of his words lingered, pressing into the space between you.

the room seemed to shrink as the truth settled over you like a heavy cloak, suffocating and cold. your chest tightened, and before you realized it, tears began streaming down your face, silent but relentless. you hadn’t even noticed them falling until caleb stepped closer, his expression softening in a way that made your heart ache even more.

his hands cupped your cheeks, the calloused pads of his fingers brushing against your skin as he tried to wipe the tears away. 

“do you understand how i need you to live, princess?” caleb’s voice cracked, raw with emotion, tugging at strings in your heart you didn’t even realize were there. “i love you so much, you have no idea the limits i’d go to prove it to you.”

his words settled over you like a tempest, leaving you breathless and trembling. it wasn’t just what he said—it was the way he said it, every syllable laced with unrelenting devotion and a darkness that both frightened and comforted you. you felt so dangerously cherished, as though his love could burn the world down if it meant keeping you safe.

the worst part? you could say you felt the same.

his grip on your face tightened, not painfully but with a firm desperation, his calloused thumbs brushing away the lingering wetness on your cheeks. his eyes softened as they held yours, the fierceness in them giving way to something almost pleading.

“if you want me to beg, i’ll fucking beg you, princess. if you want me on my knees, i’ll do it. just stay here with me where i can see you.” he whispered, his voice barely audible but impossibly steady, his tone dropped so low it was almost a growl, the sound vibrating through the air and sinking deep into your chest. his jaw tightened, the sharp angles of his face accentuated by the tension coiling in his body. 

why did his love felt so crushing?

his hands stayed on your face, grounding you, but his grip was firm, as if he was afraid you might disappear if he let go. his eyes, dark and stormy, searched yours, waiting for an answer you weren’t sure you could give.

“why are you doing this to me?” you finally whispered, your voice trembling under the weight of his confession. “why do you care so much?” the question felt sacred, as if it wasn’t meant to be spoken aloud, but you couldn’t keep it inside any longer.

his jaw tightened, his hands still cupping your face as his eyes locked onto yours. for a moment, he didn’t speak, as though the answer was too heavy, too raw to give voice to.

“did they hurt you, caleb?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. “in those experiments?”

your clenched fists, tight with anger and frustration, slowly dissolved into something softer. the tension in your body ebbed away, leaving only the raw ache in your chest. before you could second-guess yourself, your hands moved on their own, rising to his face. your fingertips brushed against his jaw, tentative at first, before settling into a gentle caress.

“they can hurt me all they want,” caleb said, his voice low and raw, each word cutting through the air like a blade. “as long as they keep their distance from you, i’ll endure it. i’d end myself if it meant that you would never be hurt again.”

his gaze bore into yours, fierce and unrelenting, yet there was a softness in his eyes that made your chest ache. it wasn’t just desperation—it was devotion, the kind that threatened to drown you in its intensity.

“they can’t control my evol anymore, their plan of the antidote backfired” caleb said, his voice vulnerable as if only talking about that chamber already caused him agony. “that’s why they’re scared. the last neural control experiment—the zero gravity chamber was destroyed because the machines couldn’t handle it. they wanted to transform me into a robot, somehow my mind never cooperated”. his gaze averted to the emblem on your chest.

you swallowed hard, his words sinking into your brain like lead. “aren’t we a danger to each other, caleb?” you asked, your voice trembling, hiccups breaking through as tears streaked your face. you were scared. “am i capable of hurting you? do i… isn’t it dangerous if we stay together?”

he stared at you for a long moment, his gaze unwavering and intense. “if there’s anyone in this world i’d let hurt me, it’s you, princess,” he said, planting a kiss on your forehead as he did when you were both kids. and then his tone shifted into something darker, almost obsessive. “i don’t fucking care what you do to me, you can hurt me all you want if that makes you fucking happy. don’t you understand?”

“don’t say that…” you murmured, trying to avert your gaze, your cheeks burning hot with embarrassment and suffocation.

he smirked, a sharp, knowing curve of his lips as his thumb brushed another tear from your cheek. “i want to create a world where it’s just the two of us,” he said, his voice dropping to a low whisper that sent shivers racing down your spine.

his bionic hand gripped your waist, pulling you flush against him, the unyielding strength of his hold making your breath hitch. he leaned in closer, so close his lips nearly brushed your ear. “just say the word, and i’ll do it,” he murmured, the heat of his breath against your skin sending your mind spinning. “i’ll end everything. you know that.”

“caleb…” you murmured, your palms pressing gently against his chest, trying to create even the smallest bit of distance between you. “i thought you had gone crazy.” your voice trembled as you looked up at him, the weight of his intensity still bearing down on you. “i’m sorry you had to endure that… because of me.” your breaths came quickly, your words tumbling out before you could stop them. “i… i still think you’re crazy, though.”

a flicker of amusement crossed his face, but you didn’t give him a chance to reply.

“but… what do we do now?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, your thoughts spinning wildly. “do they know you brought me here?”.

“all of the personnel outside is from ever, they think i’m convincing you to willingly participate in the project. make you turn into some kind of sacrifice for humanity. bullshit.” just saying it out loud seemed painful for him, and hearing it sounded even more crazy.

“they wanted to start everything straight away, test the energy of the aether core inside of you before we could even talk. i convinced them to let me handle you, that’s why i can’t let you leave skyhaven for now.” he sounded almost guilty when saying those words, waiting patiently for your reaction so he could be deemed innocent.

“so i am your hostage, basically?”, something akin to amusement surged in your face, dried tears staining your rosy cheeks.

“that depends if you are willing to cooperate, just say the word and i’ll fly us across west coast immediately.” his gaze made you feel the most heartbroken and cherished woman in the world. cruel. “i don’t plan to stay here forever”.

“what about kirst—” your words stopped abruptly as realization struck you like a lightning bolt. your eyes widened as your breath hitched in your throat. “oh my fucking god, caleb, kirsten!”

panic surged through you, and you shoved him back with far more force than you intended, as if he were suddenly contagious. your cheeks burned hot as your gaze darted toward the observation room. you could feel every beat of your heart hammering against your ribs.

from where you stood, the glass gave an impeccable view of everything that had transpired. your stomach churned as you imagined what she might have seen, what conclusions she might have drawn. but as your eyes landed on the empty chair, your confusion deepened. kirsten wasn’t there.

“where… where did she go?” you stammered, your embarrassment morphing into unease. “wasn’t she just—she was right there!” you pointed toward the glass, your voice climbing an octave.

“jesus, when did you become so strong, pipsqueak?” caleb muttered, his tone equal parts stunned and impressed as he steadied himself. the few inches you’d managed to push him away seemed to amuse him more than anything else, his eyes glinting with an undeniable sense of pride.

“caleb, kirsten!” you exclaimed, pointing toward the observation room with wide, exasperated eyes. “did she see us? oh my god, she might think i’m a whore!”

he raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to suppress a laugh. “c’mon, pipsqueak, don’t push it,” he said, his voice calm and teasing as he stepped forward. “i bet she understands. we were made for each other, after all.” his tone turned deliberately corny, and you could feel your cheeks burning like they were on fire again.

“don’t say that!” you snapped, mortified, as he tried to close the gap you’d created between you. you quickly put a hand on his chest to stop him, your glare sharp. “don’t touch me, you perv!”

caleb smirked, his amusement only growing at your reaction. “are you seriously worried about an 70-year-old woman judging you right now?” he asked, his tone dripping with disbelief, “after the life or death situation we just discussed?”

“you can’t keep saying these things to a woman…” you muttered, your voice trailing off as you stubbornly ignored the look caleb was giving you. you kept the distance between you, maintaining the few inches of air.

“things? what things?” he teased, his tone light and playful, though his eyes held that familiar mischievous glint.

you groaned, feeling the heat creep back up your neck. “like… like you’re going to die for me! you asked for a custom-made uniform for me just like yours, do you know what this looks like for other people? and that thing you said about being on your knees? jesus…” you stammered, your words tangling over each other as your embarrassment grew. “you shouldn’t say those things in moments like this!”

caleb’s lips curved into a slow smirk, clearly enjoying how flustered you were. “i want them to look at you and remember who you’re with,” he murmured. “do you want me to prove it?”

your eyes widened in horror as you saw him begin to shift, his knees bending slightly as though he were actually going to kneel in front of you.

“oh my god, caleb. get up! my god!” you hissed, your hands flying out to stop him before he could make good on his teasing. your gaze darted toward the window and the door, nerves prickling at the thought of someone walking in and witnessing this absurd scene.

caleb, meanwhile, was practically doubled over in laughter, clearly finding your panic far too amusing. “i’ll keep that in mind,” he said between chuckles, his tone teasing as ever. “you don’t like things in public, princess. noted.”

“what the hell is that supposed to mean?!” you snapped, your voice climbing a few octaves in your exasperation. your hands flew up to cover your face, both to hide your flaming cheeks and to block out the infuriating sight of his grin. “oh my god…”

caleb’s laughter only grew louder at your reaction, his shoulders shaking with the force of it. “relax, pipsqueak,” he said, his voice still laced with amusement. “i’m just saying I’ll keep it private next time.”

next time? sweet heavens.

you glared at him, your cheeks burning hotter than ever. “you still haven’t told me your plan, it’s time we get out of here, they will start getting suspicious,” you said, your voice firm despite the lingering embarrassment. 

“oh, don’t worry, baby. they know they’re dead if they interrupt us”.

despite his infuriating smirks and relentless teasing, you couldn’t deny the way caleb’s presence steadied something deep within you—a part of yourself that had always felt untethered, incomplete. there was a gravity to him—oh the irony of it all—, an unshakable certainty in his actions, even when everything else around you felt like chaos. the pieces of your past, fragmented and jagged, were beginning to fall into place. 

as you stared at his grin right now, you asked yourself if it would be the right time to confess your feelings for him since childhood. he knew you loved him, but you still wanted to say those three little words.

you hated how much you didn’t want to believe him, but there was no escaping the truth: caleb had always been there, weaving himself into the fabric of your life in ways you hadn’t fully understood until now. 

“i trust you, caleb. with my life.”

the words felt heavier than you’d anticipated, and for a moment, the air between you shifted. you watched as his expression changed, his playful smirk fading into something more serious. his gaze locked onto yours, and you could see the way your confession hit him, sharp and profound, like it was a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.

but how could you not? how could you not trust the man when just being near him brought a peace that felt almost childlike—a fleeting memory of safety you hadn’t realized you’d lost? when every sacrifice he made screamed of a love so consuming it defied logic, a love that compelled him to climb through military ranks with a single-minded determination, as if his very existence depended on it? he spent his days training, his nights planning, and his rare moments of respite killing parts of himself, carving away his own humanity, all to try and make you feel whole.

your life had been in his hands from the very beginning, cradled by the will of a man whose obsession burned brighter than any protocore, whose evol bent not to power but to the unrelenting need to love you.

caleb’s love was a force of nature, raw and unyielding, and even if it frightened you, even if it left you reeling, you couldn’t deny the truth of it: it was the only constant in a world that had always sought to tear you apart.

caleb’s love made you shiver. and for some reason, you didn’t mind that at the moment.

“me and kirsten already have a plan,” he said finally, his voice quieter but laced with determination, glancing at the watch displayed in the hologram behind you. “i’ll tell you everything when we’re completely alone. i promise.”

honestly? right now you just wanted to kiss the man in front of you stupid and spill all your love on him. the love you have felt since your first time playing kitty cards with him and kissing each other’s cheeks as kids.

but you were quickly reminded of where you were when you glanced at the door and stared at the daa emblem painted on it. you felt like a wreck of emotions.

the change in scenery left you gasping for air as caleb slowly guided you out of the conference room. the ever personnel not even blinking as you and the colonel passed through them.

your eyes darted around, searching for something familiar, something real to ground you amidst the mess of revelations swimming in your mind. part of you hoped to see kirsten, her sharp eyes and scary aura a strange kind of reassurance in the chaos. but when the grey-haired woman was nowhere to be seen, a small, unexpected wave of relief washed over you.

maybe it was better this way. maybe you weren’t ready to face her yet—not after everything caleb had told you, not when the weight of your own memories, or lack thereof, felt like an anchor dragging you down.

you stared at linkon city sprawling below skyhaven, the glittering lights painting an intricate mosaic against the inky darkness of dawn. from the observation decks you walked over, the city looked almost surreal, a world that felt both achingly familiar and impossibly distant. something tugged at your chest—a dull ache of nostalgia—at the thought of your childhood home hidden somewhere within those shimmering lights.

the tech center that skyhaven was, with its seamless blend of towering glass structures and advanced machinery humming quietly around you, filled you with a strange sense of innocence. as though everything you’d endured until this day could be set aside as a different life of yours.

wasn’t this exactly what the core inside of you was? so powerful it could transcend planets, weaving its influence across time and space—capable of creating not just miracles but catastrophes?

weren't you a walking human weapon? haven't you always been one?

your thoughts were interrupted by caleb gesturing toward his room, his tone calm as he said he’d finish up and spend the rest of the day with you. you barely registered the words, too lost in the whirlwind of your mind to notice how the two of you had already made your way back to his quarters.

just as he turned to leave, you reached out, grabbing his hand instinctively. the touch froze him in place, his eyes immediately locking onto yours in his chambers. you wanted to say something, anything, but the words caught in your throat. would it sound strange to admit you didn’t want to be alone? to confess that you were scared?

caleb stepped closer, his presence grounding you like a warm tether against the cold, sterile hallway outside his room. “you’ve been thinking about it, haven’t you?” he asked, his voice quiet, gentle. it wasn’t a question so much as an acknowledgment of the weight you carried. he grabbed your hand on his.

you nodded, your grip tightening slightly on his hand. “it’s just… too much,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “to think something so small—something inside me—has the power to destroy so much. reshape worlds. ruin lives. it fucking terrifies me, caleb.”

he didn’t answer right away, but his silence felt steady, unhurried. his thumb brushed lightly against the back of your hand, a simple gesture, but one that somehow made it easier to breathe.

“listen to me,” he said, his voice low, steady. “you’re allowed to be scared. no one’s asking you to shoulder this alone. not me, not anyone.”

you nodded, your throat tight with emotion, as he squeezed your hand gently. “i’ll just go fix some things, and i’ll be right back, okay? i’m not leaving you alone anymore.”

his words struck something deep within you, a vulnerability you’d tried so hard to keep buried. you blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill, wondering why you were so emotional today.

“promise me,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. was it selfish? probably. but at this point, you didn’t care. caleb cared about you—loved you, even—and you were done pretending you didn’t need him.

his lips curved into a soft smile, one that held more warmth than his usual teasing grins. he leaned in slightly, his gaze steady and full of affection. “i promise,” he said, the words carrying a weight that made your heart stutter.

you watched his back turn to you after he left another kiss on your forehead, the warmth of it lingering long after he stepped away. 

maybe the betrayal would fade someday, its sharp edges dulled by time and the quiet moments like this that he gifted you. or maybe it wouldn’t. maybe the wound would remain, a reminder of everything he had done to you—and for you.

but even now, as you stood there watching him walk away, you couldn’t deny the part of yourself that clung to what he had done. the part of you that loved him for it, no matter how much you tried to resist.

after all, you were his since the beginning.

author's notes: tell me i didn't ruin this halfway bc that is what i felt when i was finishing it. next chapter they will be doing the woompakoompa so buckle up (i just hope it doesn't turn into a 20k words smut scene) lord help me. i'll cry if nobody comments below because my week's sanity was poured into this work. just kidding (i'm not), i love you freaky caleb girlies, see you next time, xo.

[zaynes-nieve]

Zayne Confirmed Lore

Anything confirmed by the developers, including any accounts or information within the game! (I will update you as the game continues, and I appreciate any info I can get from you all as well!!!!)

Tender Moments | Memoria | Bond | Devs/Offical/Messages/Calls | Main Story | Annecdotes

Basic Info:

Zayne's Birthday is September 5th | About Him

Other Names: Rei (JP), Lee See-Oen (KR) and Li Shen (CN)

Zayne's Constellation sign is a Virgo (like me)| About Him

Zayne is 6'1 | About Him

Zayne's age is 27 | About Him

Zayne is the Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Akso Hospital | About Him

Zayne's evol is Ice | About Him

Daily Life and a good chunk of the lore

Zayne is a workaholic, and he likes it | Gentle Twilight/About Him

He is good at snowboarding! | Everlasting Snowdrop/About Him

He knows how to peel an apple in one go | Spring Remnants/About Him

He is good at drawing (those anatomical diagrams, ftw!!!) | Suprise Encounter/About Him

He has a sweet tooth (like me) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

He gets toothaches (unlike me) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

He is a terrible patient (Strict against others, indulgent to his own whims) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

Zayne is a teetotaler (a person who never drinks alcohol) | Drunken Intimacy/About Him

He is good at pool but is a strict teacher | Exclusive Tutorial/About Him

His Parents are also Doctors and work with Doctors without Borders overseas | Eternal Attachment/About Him

He sends them a message on his birthday each year, telling them he is just fine! | Eternal Attachment/About Him

Zayne has a hard time controlling his Evol | Main Story 4-10/Never Ending Winter ch.4

Starcatcher Awardee (2046) | Main Story 4-5

Linde Award Winner (Year 2046) | Main Story 4-5 / Never Ending Winter ch.10? Last chapter mention

His patients all are obedient (terrified) of him | A Pure White Heart ch. 3

Dr. Zayne and Dawnbreaker see each other in their dreams | (Never Ending Winter Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.4)

He has a pet squirrel named after the medication, Clopidogrel! | Feed the Squirrel/Message

It appears Zayne also frequently volunteers to assist in medical relief for disasters or joins the medical teams assisting hunters fighting wanders in high-frequency zones | Dawn's Shadows, Foreign Aid/Video Call, Hidden Motive, Medical Rescue

He is quick to forgo his well-being to save others in dangerous situations. He truly puts his own duty as a doctor above everything else.| Medical Rescue, Neon Night

He is surprisingly (not to any of us but to MC ig) a novice to the art of sleeping in. | Fluffy Treatment/About Him

When he is sick he dodges the cold medicine for Hot Cocoa. | Engraved Affection/About Him

Zayne used to secretly tag along to get Milk Tea with the Akso Hospital Staff | Everlasting Wish/About Him

His Past:

Zayne was one smart cookie and skipped several years! But because he was so young and his classmates were not. He had a hard time making friends | Delicacy/About Him

When he was in medical school, he visited a barbeque stall a lot | Delicacy/About Him

He has a good tolerance for pain😭and he gets injured a lot, leaving many scars | Medical Rescue/About Him

Dr. Zayne was in the 35th Cohort of the Skyhaven Medical School in a PhD Program | Never Ending Winter ch.1

He was an intern under Dr. William (took him under his wing) | Never Ending Winter ch.1

It's implied he had to kill William after those black crystals seemed to be turning Dr.William into a Wanderer (Do we consider this confirmed enough?) | Never Ending Winter ch. 6

He Plays Tennis (and won a prize!) | Tennis Game/Messages

Due to the time travel shenanigans and our boy being the best at everything, Zayne is now an expert Jade carver! | Moonlit Dream

He briefly studied keyboards as a child. But quit after a month. | Heartstring Notes

All he knows how to play is Little Lamb | Heartstring Notes

When he worked at the hospital during New Years, the Akso Hospital Staff celebrated the holidays together | Cherished Longing/About Him

Zayne has a brother....it's a Monkey | Cherished Longing

His Likes:

He really hates carrots!!! | A Frozen Promise/About Him

He visits medical museums to relax, or he will go look out at the river | Heart Within Reach/About Him

Our Story 💙❄️☃️

He gave us a little snow seal when we were children (we thought it was a snowball) | A Frozen Promise/About Him

After seeing our name on the volunteer list for the Frontlines, he follows us. Hidden Motive/Insta Acc.

He is our Primary Doctor!!! (we're not gonna talk about the ethics of this LMFAO) | Main Story 1-8/About Him

Zayne said he melted an "old" popsicle (our popsicles at this time) for us when we were kids | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

Our Grandmother left us a letter with Zayne, and he seems to know more than he is letting on | Main Story 4-7

We voted for him in the Patient's Favorite Doctor poll on Asko's official account (He also won) | A Vote/Message

HE USES US AS HIS WALLPAPER | Screen Saver/Message

Zayne is not above bribery (whether it is us or his patients) | I Miss You/Message

We gave daffodils to Zayne! (they're garlic) | Gardening/Message

World Underneath

Longly Flame

Williams Girlfriend was named Sienna

She gives Zayne, Williams Martyr Badge.

(See the Everlasting Anecdote for more info on William)

They call Zayne the 35th academic god XD. They pray to him before exams lmfao

Zayne and Dr. Noah are apart of an experiment along with Carter regarding proctores and hearts. It starts growing black crystals

Zayne deletes all of his research

In General this just introduces that Dr. Noah had three protégés; Zayne, Carter and William

Snowy Stairs

Carter didn't get his doctorate degree (what a scum bag)

Carter is stalking Zayne.

He also seems to be playing and is obsessed with life and death

Cabin 607 is a patient, Carter is attempting to use to get Zayne to join him in his efforts at Xander Sciences

His name is Felix, 45 and a teacher

Carter tried to hack Zayne with a Trojan horse. This man is obsessed oml

Carter is now attempting to use MC to get to Zayne and possibly use MC for the X-Heart Experiment

No Morning (The Greyson Anecdote)

Zayne is the type to micromanage

This occurs after Im assuming after MC and Zayne’s trip to Mt. Eternal due to context clues but this may be wrong

Greyson has a crush on a Hunter

Zayne and MC are considered close by the Akso staff

Snowball Flower on Zayne's desk though it looks a little sick according to Greyson

Called a Snow Velvet

Rescue Operation, both Greyson, Zayne attend for 2 days and 2 nights

Awww Greyson got himself a little Hunter girlfriend

CPR and the 6 minutes if they're heart stops. To not give up cause that is when a person is declared dead and can't be resuscitated. (I think Greyson was telling Zayne this but I originally thought it was Zayne telling Greyson)

Overall it really is just getting into how scary being a hunter is from a non hunter perspective. Especially since it's from a surgeon who is like Zayne.

We also learn more about some of the medical conditions that occur with Hunters and protocore symptoms

And once again the mention of the Grim Reaper and again the mention of dark ICE crystals with the dying snow velvet .

MYTH STORIES

Foreseer

Master of Fate

Dawnbreaker

Anything talked about in this section is written as if you have already had the knowledge before hand.

Never Ending Winter: Zayne Anecdote #2

First mention of Dawnbreaker and also where we get the info of Zayne's Nightmare into Dawnbreaker's world.

Zayne mentions the nightmares again and talks about how his current reality is more bloody than his nightmares (Dawn Breaker World)

We get Dr.Zayne's perspective as he is "in that world of ice and snow" Zayne attacks himself from his perspective with dark crystals (which we know from The third ancedote is the color of Dawnbreaker's ice

Dr.Zayne refers to this black coated version of him as the Grim Reaper.

Zayne almost accidentally killed someone important to him when he was 12. He was 12 when he first started getting dreams of Dawnbreaker

Crystals begin to grow off of William (though, they mention the color of said crystals being black, they dont mention if they're ice)

Future edit: 1/25/25: Infold has made it very clear recently between the difference between the dark ice of Dawnbreaker and the black crystals that seems to involve humans turning into wanderers. Zayne now in the most recent main story with Caleb has made it clear that the crystals on Kevi was the ones that were on William!!!

The people Dawnbreaker killed appear in front of him after he kills William

Still in the Dark: Zayne Anecdote #3

Georgie's first description of Dawnbreaker Zayne is that of a Grim Reaper (hence the connection to all mentions of him in Never Ending Winter)

Georige is a young boy who hires Zayne to help him find the person who killed his mom

Dawnbreaker is the in canon title for the serial killer who leaves no bodys only dark blue crystals

There is footage of Dawnbreaker killing these people, so it isn't speculation

Detective Ivan, the police working on the Dawnbreaker case, gives distrubing insight into the situation, giving his point of view that the people who Dawnbreaker is killing leave behind shards like Wanderer protocores

When he catches Dawnbreaker in the act, he finds the victim with tentacles and attacking Dawnbreaker.

Georgie's mother was a worker at an ungergound protocore factory

Zayne, after running out of chocolate, takes some from Georgie, and so begins the Georige & Zayne duo.

DB!Zayne watches Old Doctor Television Shows

He also only lives off of Nutrient Solutions

DB! Zayne also has a Jasmine Plant

He also oftens visits a decayed plaza with a jasmine field

In their universe, Linkon City is a city from a distant past.

DB!Zayne confirms that he also dreams and that it is of our Linkon City

Chapter 4 is where we get the most intermigle between Zayne & DB! Zayne.

Zayne dreams of MC and the snacks we share with Zayne in particular a popsicle which could be a reference to the bond story Nostalgic Sweetness

He dreams of being a suregon. He started getting these dreams also at the age twelve

He knew at 12 that MC and Zayne would meet at 27

Dawnbreaker lives vicariously though these dreams and the remnants of Linkon he can find in his world.

Zayne calls the Humans who leave behind Protocore fragments "Abominations"

He plays some recording about Zhuangzi and the Butterfly essentially not knowing if he was the dream or if they are. (Butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi or Zhuangzi dreaming of being a Butterfly) Dr.Zayne and Dawnbreaker to a T.

Georgie dreams of being a monster (Foreshadowing yall). Zayne notices a bump under Georgies eyes 😭

Georgie, on the day he turns 12, begins to show more obvious symptoms of being an Abomination

IK this has been more of a recount, but we got little to work with Dawn Breaker lore yall

Dawn Breakers first kill was when he was 12, after he killed his adopted father, who became an Abomination

It is also here that we learn that if not killed, these beings turn into Wanderers.

Zayne is the one who murdered Georgie's mother

We find out that Georgie's mother requested that Zayne kills her half a month before she turned.

Her Coworkers having turned into Wanderers (She believes it was due to their long exposure to the protocores)

Zayne kills Georgie after he becomes an Abomination

Detective Ivan gives us the run down that the government and those in power are hiding the fact that some of those wanderers were once human. He also intends to stop and destory the investigation against Dawnbreaker, likely so Zayne can continue doing his job.

Eternal Attachment

Zayne's Birthday Card!!!! What is it doing in the Dawnbreaker section people ask as I slowly sink into despair about the implications of it

So! I conveniently didn't mention something in a previous section, Still In The Dark

Why are you telling me this you ask having after reading walls of text or just looking at this section first. Well because of this dialogue RIGHT HERE:

A familiar melody drifts through the darkness.

It’s “Happy Birthday”?

“Happy Birthday, Dr. Zayne!”

The girl’s clear voice rings out, her smile warm like the morning sun.

Is he dreaming again?

“From now on, I’ll always be by your side for your birthday.”

The girl’s sincere yet slightly shy expression makes him unable to resist the urge to caress her cheek.

He lowers his head and discovers they’re holding hands. He reaches out, but right before touching the girl’s cheek, she's suddenly looks shocked.

“You… aren’t Dr. Zayne. Who are you?”

Zayne abruptly wakes up. A gray wall stares back at him. The alarm resounds, and the holographic screen starts flickering red again.

Zayne takes a deep breath. What did that dream mean?

How did the girl see him? It’s as if she saw through time and space, through his dreams, to realize he’s not the doctor.

NOW LETS GO LOOK AT THE BIRTHDAY ETERNAL ATTACHMENT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!

Y'all I'm physically sickkkk. It was very mean of INFOLD to do us like this and then hit us with the Special Investigations.

But in all seriousness I think there was a similar situation in a 4 Star memory but I can't find it so maybe I've gone crazy. But it is connecting and preparing/setting the scene for the Special Investigation: Thorns Under The Moon

Special Investigation: Thorns Under The Moon

Dr. Zayne, our Zayne and DB Zayne or DB is Dawnbreaker

This first main story lore that connects our Zayne with Dawnbreaker. Everything else has come from the anecdotes or something extremely similar

Prologue

It's been two months since the N109 Zone

Once again modified protocores & Aether cores are making amouck

Specifically the type of Wanderer with a Beta Protocurve can distort time and space. That new aether cores may appear where these Wanderers do

We start off in Zayne's POV it refers to us as "The Girl" which makes me believe based off last experiences that this is Dawnbreaker

Black Crystals (Like we have seen regarding wanderers) spring out of the walls and move towards us.

It mentions a time distort which reminds me of those Wanderers mentioned earlier.

It then cuts to our Zayne. He had been sleeping. At the Asko Rehabilitation Center in a Sleeping Pod. He had a nightmare.

Zayne has been having nightmares since his visit to Mt. Eternal.

It's been two months and he hasn't been able to sleep at all.

He doesn't tell us what happened in the Artic only that he is having a rerecurring nightmare

MC mentions that Zayne has a business trip next week and that she is concerned for his health

Zayne tries to say something about how even if he collapses they're other doctors but MC isn't hearing it calling him "My Doctor" 💙

Dr. Zayne tells us he will be careful and stay alive

We tell him our concerns about who we think the fragment we gave him after the N109 zone is the cause of his nightmares.

He tries to tell us it's a coincidence but I'm not so sure about that. Zayne has had these nightmares since he was 12 yes but they're has been no indication they occur so often until now. I think the protocore fragment is doing something.

We also learn, relearn? That Zayne is studying the fragment and it's possible relation with Protocore Syndrome.

We learn about the Wanderer and the Protocore we are hunting

It moves through distorting space. Anywhere it appears those with Protocore Syndrome fall into comas and some even shock

The location is Chansia City. Which we then find out is where Zayne is going for his business trip!!!

We ask to join the medical team and it's Approved.

As we leave the building to meet Zayne, someone gets in our way. (It's Carter 🤢)

He tries to invite us to dinner which fucking EW. (If it was clear at this point that while I keep the lore/plot accurate I'm not afraid to put my own opinion on these. Now it is)

Zayne comes out and saves us and we get to see the Carter and Zayne beef live

Carter tried to invite all three of us to dinner but MC swiftly declines saying that the association forbids its hunters from accepting dinner for work related purposes (idk if that's true or not)

Carter is trying very hard to give us these flowers (I'm like 98% sure he did shit to them) but Zayne snatches them before we can decline and THEN GIVES THEM BACK TO CARTER(My God I love this man)

This line is EVERYTHING oml

"They're much appreciated. Unfortunately there's no room for them in MY car" omlllll

Carter apparently came to give us a warning about being careful when we are traveling which is SO fucking weird. How did he know we were traveling YALL.

Once we are in the car we try and get more information on Carter and Xander Sciences from Zayne

It flashes back to one of Zayne's earlier chapters regarding that rich person with Rafayel's art that sucked people into it. How Xander Sciences has been trying to get Zayne to join them

Zayne tells us that the only thing they have in common is that they studied under the same professor. (Which we already know because of World Underneath but again!!!! This is really connecting all of the outside Anecdotes and various other stories to the Main one!)

We get to call Carter crazy which is fun for me personally (Its also how we find out he is trying to poach us from Zayne to be Carter's patient. Ewwwwwwww)

Zayne also gets to call him crazy 🤣

We get more information about why the medical team is going to Chansia from Greyson

A specific patient has a weird crystal growth in his heart that is different from the normal patients. (Beta Protocurve anyone?) When this patient was admitted to the hospital he caused a Metaflux burst.

We keep trying to surprise Zayne on these trips and it never works XD. He signed all our paperwork so he knew we were coming

Dr Zayne in a surgery clothes!!!

The Wanderer we are chasing closely resembles Myst ( a type of Wanderer) the proctores don't match up however.

The proctore that is pulled from the patient is like the ones we gave Zayne from the monsters in the N109 Zone.

Then out of nowhere a Metaflux occurs

We try and get Zayne and the other doctors to leave the ER but Zayne refuses trying to keep the patient alive

Zayne asks us to use our evol to suprees the Metaflux (Something I didn't even know our Evol could do but also like ofc I will cause he asked me to 🤣)

We do manage to suppress the Metaflux using our Evol and give Zayne enough time

Zayne pulls us off to the side to do a quick Evol examination

Zayne calls us out for not being entirely honest about why we were here. Which fair. But I'm pretty sure it's like classified so-

Zayne counters our point about how the Aether cores can't be causing the mutations due to one being perfectly integrated with our own Heart.

Zayne believes it's human made and I'm definitely inclined to believe him with all the shady shit Ever and Xander Sciences has done.

Somehow the patient is already awake which is genuinely terrifying cause WTF did they do to this dude?

FUCKING CARTER IS BACK AGAIN. THAT WORLD UNDERNEATH SECTION WAS RIGHT. HE IS SO STALKING ZAYNE WTF.

He says he wasn't following us but I don't fucking believe that shit

And this is when we find out that this dude is a Xander Sciences client. Which like. I've been acting like he was already, but this is the actual confirmation from Carter no less

He is trying to get us interested in whatever Frankenstein shit Xander Sciences is doing but both Mc and I could care LESS.

"It's okay, you'll be interested someday"

Omfg he gives me the ICK

He tells us that only Xander Sciences can tell us about what is happening with our heart.

Greyson comes out and tell us that Zayne wants us inside and Greyson also kicks Carter out!!!!

The patient says that "It" trapped him somewhere, a nightmare.

We show him the Wanderer we are hunting. It's the one that put him into the coma

It's a little vague but we ending up in its reality shifting thing.

(Alr outside of the canon, I'ma mention this before we continue. This part is rooted in vague mentions. We still as of now 2/2/25 haven't really gotten any more information about what exactly occurs. We know Dawnbreaker is apart of it but wheter we actually meet Dawnbreaker or Dr. Zayne as Dawnbreaker is something that was debated and still is. Im going to try and keep it to the facts as much as I can but just know that it's difficult to tell even to MC in game who we are talking to. So unless it states otherwise I will be referring to them as "Zayne")

MC deduces after a moment that we are in the Wanderer's protofield

We see "Zayne" and sharp ice crystals materialize around us to pierce our heart

We wake up to "Zayne" in Dawnbreaker's outfit mind you. Which I don't think in any story outside of Dawnbreaker's we ever see Zayne wear.

His figure apparently matches up with the dark figure we have seen before.

MC describes the place she is in and it's Dawnbreaker's apartment from Still in the Dark

Ex. In the fridge is only "weird packets" which we know to the nutritional drink that DB drinks and Chocolate.

MC starts speculating. She mentions how the patient was only trapped in their own dream

She is implying that this is "Zayne's"

"Zayne" mentions that he has dreamed off this place but that everything was better off than it is now.

"Zayne" confirms that this is the place where his nightmares have been occurring

MC mentions how "Every Detail" of this place is fleshed out. That "Zayne" must have seen these places alot to recreate it so clearly (This is what I mean about vague. It's implying that is only a dream of this world but it also keeps hinting that it may be an reality)

"Zayne" mentions that while it dies resemble his nightmares. It is definitely a protofield. We see a Protocore cluster

MC deduces that there is another cluster somewhere and that they need to destroy both at the same time to escape

"Zayne" and MC argue a little bit about who takes the cluster which is across the city.

MC ends up going after it

AFTER SHE IS GONE WERE BACK TO "ZAYNE'S" POV

It goes back to referring to MC as "The Girl"

He freezes the mist and black impurities are in the Ice, some of it still normal Ice. (Is this supposed to be a reference to the fact that DB ice crystals are Black?)

"Zayne" starts seeing people he has killed as Our Zayne or DB.

William • Never Ending Winter

Georgie & Possibly Georgie's Mom • Still In The Dark

A BLACK ice crystal is what shatters part of the Cluster

More lines

"It's Her. But she can't possibly be here"

(It could be a reference to the fact MC can't be here cause she is across the city or because she doesn't exist in DB world)

It's definitely an illusion though as he is imagining her with dark ice flowers growing out of her and her begging for him to Kill her.

He forms BLACK ICE CRYSTALS

A random voice "Zayne" doesn't recognize says

"You shouldn't throw yourself in danger just for her" "Seek your destiny. Only then can you be redeemed" (Is this supposed to be Astra???)

We're back to MC's POV but we aren't back in Chansia. We are in Asko Hospital.

"Zayne" is injured, ice is growing from him.

"Zayne" tells us the clusters was just one layer. We still need to defeat the Wanderer.

MC hears a voice that is echoing "Zayne's" words. (90% certain it's the lines Foreseer gives MC in their myth story) So now Myth Stories are in main story too

Blackened Ice is whats growing on Zayne

MC doesn't think it's just Zayne losing control of his evol

Memoria: Frozen Nightfall

Frozen Nightfall is apart of Thorns Underneath the Moonlight. It is a free five star card taken directly from the story. So you get the cards content without getting the card at all

MC resonates with Zayne as we have done in the past to get rid of the ice.

"Zayne" tells her that the Wanderer isn't the only danger here. He seems certain that he may harm her.

It like suddenly does a Hard Cut? They are back in the city. They aren't in room they were in before and a bunch of mist appears.

"Zayne" is carrying an unconscious MC into a hospital room.

"Zayne" says letting her step into this nightmare was a mistake. He says he has "One last choice"

And seemingly takes the ice that we resonated from him back.

MC once again mentions the weary face of one Zayne and her own merging and then immediately separating.

The attack on MC from the Wanderer wasn't in the protofield

MC asks what "Zayne" did? (I'm not exactly sure what she means by that)

She asks if this is why he has no control of his Evol

MC asks if this dream is more than just a dream to him.

"Zayne" is concerned he will never wake up from this nightmare at some point.

Later, Zayne and MC use their evols together to destroy the last layer. The world turns into "Black Amber"

After defeating the Wanderer they are back in Chansia.

MC makes Zayne back and forth around.

She says she is making sure that "Dr Zayne is the person with me right now." (What does this even mean?!)

MC collapses but she says she is fine. She is holding a part of the aether core fragment it's green

It's been three days since Zayne and MC disappeared in the Protofield.

They discover a strange device in one of the Flux stabilizers in the ICU

Someone tampered with it (Looking at Carter)

We are back in Linkon now. We are in Zayne's home.

Zayne is resting and we get a call from Simone

Simone tells us that the device resonates WITH Metaflux fluctuations

It locates protocores and ATTRACTS Wanderers.

Raymond the rich dude who died, owned Xander Sciences. Xander Sciences was passed on to Ever.

MC says that Ever is creating Monsters

We're back in Zayne's POV. He is in a dream

It looks happy at first but then it goes back to that hallway and Zayne's Evol seemingly attacks MC Again

He is still having those nightmares 😭

Pls hit me up with any more information and where it's from!!